


The Ties That Bind Us

by DiddlyPanda



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:10:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 113,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7581025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiddlyPanda/pseuds/DiddlyPanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world is on the brink of destruction. A great war is coming, one that threatens to end all life on the planet. Can one group of determined friends overcome the odds? Will they be able to salvage their relationships with one another? Or is the world destined for destruction? Action, drama, angst, and splashes of Bubbline. Rating changed to M.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Adventure Time, nor am I affiliated with its owners. A big thanks goes out to a friend of mine who encouraged me to go ahead and write this fic. I hope I do it justice. If you have any questions or comments then feel free to leave them and I'll address them to the best of my ability. Anyhow, hope you enjoy TTTBU!

The only sound in the bunker was a chorus of beeps and the furious clatter of keys as deft fingers danced over the keyboard, entering commands as quickly as could be managed. Seeing how this had been her life for the past twenty-nine years the keystrokes came as easily as breathing. Maybe even easier. The stuffy air in her concrete prison made her feel claustrophobic even after all this time. Sometimes it was a distraction. She had no time for distraction. Not anymore. She’d wasted too much time having miniature panic attacks and emotional outbursts already. It didn’t help that her only companions were a photograph and a young brunette that she wasn’t certain heard a single word she said, let alone talk back.

As her thoughts wandered to the brunette her eyes did as well. She tucked a few loose strands of graying strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and looked towards the stasis unit that cast an orange glow on everything in the dimly lit workspace. The young woman was floating in the suspension fluid with her eyes closed as her hair fanned out behind her, nose and mouth shielded from the liquid by a mask that fed her a steady supply of oxygen. A number of tubes had been connected to her limbs and a few other places to handle nutrient delivery and to manage other bodily processes, meshed together with a series of electrodes had been affixed to her forehead and temples.

Blue eyes glossed over the small placard she’d made for the stasis tube. Alexis was the girl’s name. When her fingers and head began to twitch Bonnibel couldn’t help but smile. A slight increase in the low beeping tone of the brain wave monitor was indicative of the young woman dreaming. What did she dream about? Was it happy? Was it of a life she may have led had she been born in a normal world? With a shake of her head the aging woman turned back to her work. Considering what the brunette dreamed about was a distraction. For someone as isolated as she was Bonnibel managed to find herself confronting a good number of distractions.

With her attention focused back on the computer in front of her she finished typing out the final sequence of commands that would be fed to the myriad of machines in the bunker. If everything went according to plan it would all be over in a few minutes. If she’d accounted for every variable then maybe there was a chance that all of the destruction and death of the Great Mushroom War could be avoided...that her friends would still be alive...

Bonnibel reached out a trembling hand and picked up the faded picture she kept on her keyboard. A single tear slid down her cheek as she scanned the faces of her loved ones smiling back at her. She missed them all more than she could bear. The loss of the people she cared about most in the world had been the driving force behind this entire plan, as crazy as it was. It had been why she’d willed herself to keep going, to keep living, and to keep working on this project that probably broke so many laws of the old world.

‘But this isn’t the old world...’ Bonnibel thought bitterly.

Her moment of sadness turned to anger as she recalled the dropping of the first bomb. The fallout had been pushed to the other side of the globe by wind and resulted in a large amount of contamination. Before the event had time to sink into the minds of the world’s population the second bomb fell. In the end it didn’t matter. The bombs just kept falling, kept killing, kept contaminating every inch of soil. After the bombs came the mindless drones that served a cruel and evil master. As far as she knew she was the only survivor…The only one aside from him. The monster who had done all of this...

Bonnibel shook her head so hard to clear the thoughts that she had to grip the sides of the computer to prevent from falling over. The dizziness pushed her time constraint to the forefront of her mind. Her body was on the verge of succumbing to starvation and dehydration. She’d run out of food nearly a week ago, though she hadn’t had a proper meal for as long as she could remember that hunger was a constant companion. She’d had the last of the water a few days prior. When she was able to pull herself away from her tireless work to get what little sleep she could Bonnibel couldn’t help but take note of the changes her body was going through as a result of age and malnourishment. Despite the solitude she still felt self-conscious when she happened to glimpse her reflection. In her youth she’d been fit, healthy. Now she more resembled a skeleton draped in a sheet of skin riddled with a map of wrinkles.

Channeling her memories of the past, of her friends, she steeled herself as best she could and walked over to a second computer and began to open up directory after directory, accessing one in particular. A notification flashed on the screen requesting input. Bonnibel grabbed the dusty microphone hooked up to the computer and spoke.

“Addendum to start-up protocol in the event neural security sequences activate: Voice only: Initiate at boot: Access code B25B-dash-M26A-dash-GWMP.” She paused and watched as the computer processed the authorization of access to the boot file. Once it was finished she continued.

“I’m recording this message as a backup measure in case something goes wrong. I don’t see why it should, but...Things happen. I’d like to apologize for initiating the operation earlier than planned. I had to. Certain circumstances made it impossible for me to allow any further delays involving non-essential programming. It is imperative that you follow the mission directives, Alexis. The war cannot be allowed to happen. At the same time...” She paused, her thumb gliding over the picture she still held. “You have to keep them safe. We have to keep them safe. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Take care of yourself until I wake up, okay?”

Bonnibel sniffled and had to wipe the tears from her eyes as she concluded her addendum. As it finally sunk in that this was the moment she’d been working towards for thirty agonizingly long years she’d become emotional. With a watery sigh she set the microphone down and made sure to save the addendum, triple checking a few things as well. Once she’d saved everything she walked over to her primary console and started up the activation process.

She sat down in the cold metal chair that was hooked to the stasis tube by a series of hoses and wires, lowering the helmet-like device strapped to the back over her head. Bonnibel grabbed the leather strap designed to hold the helmet in place and fastened it nice and tight before grabbing onto the arm rests in a white knuckle grip. She counted down the seconds until the machine would jump-start and set her plan into motion. The low whine of the equipment warming up began to rise in pitch. As it did Bonnibel’s mind skipped between her countdown and her thoughts. 

‘5’

If there was even a chance they could be saved it was worth every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears.

‘4’

This had to work. It had to...She held her breath as her eyes flitted to Alexis for the final time.

‘3’

The fate of the world was in her hands.

‘2’

Everything hinged on this.

‘1’

As a jolt of electricity surged through her, the last thing Bonnibel felt was and odd mix of pain and pleasure, the last thing she heard was a high-pitched ring, and the last thing she saw was a blinding light. Had she been aware she would have noticed her body start to twitch and writhe. Had she been able to think of anything at all she’d have wondered if there even was a chance to save the world or if its destruction had been something along the lines of destiny. But neither her senses nor consciousness were with her now.

As the machine finished its work, Bonnibel Barton died, her breath leaving her lungs as her body went slack. The picture she’d grasped until the very end fell to the dust covered floor. Finn, Jake, Bonnibel, Marceline, Phoebe, and Lorraine all stood fixed in their group pose, left to forever stare at the concrete ceiling of bunker.


	2. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of notes: The world has a unified global government. So, instead of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), it’s the GOAA (Global “ “ “). Also, used Google translate to give Lorraine (Lady) a Korean surname. According to that, Ilgagsu is Korean for “unicorn”. So yeah.

It was always amazing to wake up to the loud ring of a cellphone. Especially during a holiday break from school. Marceline screamed into her pillow as she internally begged and pleaded for the ringing to stop. After a bit it did, coaxing a groan of relief from the young woman. Rolling onto her side and pulling her blanket up to her chin caused a small smile to creep across her face. She might still have a chance at sleeping in after all. Any hopes of catching a few more hours were dashed as her phone began to ring again. This time she snatched the mobile device from her nightstand and answered, not even checking to see who it was first.

“What?” Marceline snapped, her vision a bit blurry as she sat up and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.

“Um...Okay. Good morning to you too, Marceline,” Bonnibel’s mildly irritated voice greeted her. “Did you forget we were supposed to hang out with everyone today?”

She had indeed forgotten and remained silent. Judging from the hum of disapproval on the other end of the call, her refusal to speak had outed her. Marceline wrestled with herself over whether or not she wanted to get up and brave the snow for what she was sure would be nothing more than a shopping trip. At least Finn and Jake would be there. Bonnibel had said everyone, right? The prospect of the guys coming along did sweeten the deal, as she wouldn’t be totally bored as Bonnibel, Lorraine, and Phoebe browsed, but there was no way she was going to crawl out of bed without a fight.

“Isn’t it a little early?” Marceline asked, running a hand through her mess of silky black hair.

“Marceline...It’s nearly noon...”

“And it’s winter break,” Marceline half-whined. She let out a dramatic groan and swung her legs over the side of her bed, pulling her feet back up as they touched the frigid hardwood floor. Bonnibel had been scolding her for a few minutes, though most of it fell on deaf ears. All Marceline managed to make out before she interrupted was something along the lines of a threat implying that Bonnibel would come to her apartment and drag her out kicking and screaming if came down to that. “Don’t have an aneurism. I’m up. Give me half an hour. I’ll meet you guys at...uh...”

Shit. Where were they supposed to meet again?

“Typical. I should have known you’d forget,” Bonnibel chuckled teasingly into the phone. “We’re meeting at the coffee shop on main. This is the first time we’re all getting to hang out in what feels like forever. I was hoping you’d actually remember and, I don’t know, show up on time? You’re incorrigible.”

“You’re incorrigible,” Marceline shot back.

“Ugh. Jerk. Just hurry up!”

“Yup. Love you too, Bonnie. See you in half an hour.”

Marceline quickly ended the call before the young woman on the other end could start in on her again. As much as she loved Bonnibel there were times that she wanted to choke her. Not honestly, of course. 

‘Unless she’s into that kind of thing,’ Marceline thought with a smirk. She shook her head to clear out the mental images the thought had conjured and finally mustered the strength and courage to brave her icy bedroom floor. It was too early in the day for her to start having fantasies about her best friend and ex-roommate, especially if she were going to spend the rest of the afternoon with her.

After slogging through her normal routine of getting dressed, brushing her hair, and putting on makeup, Marceline was finally ready. Her heavy eyes begged to differ, but she was on her way to get coffee anyway. They could just shut up for the time being. After snatching her phone from her bedside table she made her way out of her door. As luck would have it, snow began to fall as soon as she slid her finger over the thumbprint scanner to lock her door.

‘Of fucking course...’ Marceline thought. ‘Those dorks are lucky I love them so much...and that the coffee shop’s only a few blocks away...And that Bonnie’s going to be there...’

Thankfully for her the snowfall wasn’t all that heavy. As she stepped onto the sidewalk and started her trek she noticed that it had apparently been worse last night. Bad enough for them to run the plows through the streets, anyway. She silently thanked any powers that may be above that the group hadn’t planned the get-together for last night. It wasn’t that she disliked snow. Truth be told she had fond memories of her childhood when she and her mother would play in the snow, building snowmen and making snow angels and such. What she disliked was being cold and damp. It always led to her getting sick, and sick Marceline was an incredibly pissy Marceline.

She rolled her eyes at how ridiculous it was that snow and ice on roads and sidewalks was still an issue. Leaps and bounds in technological advances had led to nearly everything you could imagine being electronically controlled and linked to a worldwide wireless internet network. Yet somehow nobody had come up with the idea for heated sidewalks and roadways. A sly grin appeared on the woman’s lips as she pondered her genius and trudged along, her mood picking up a bit. Perhaps she’d sell her idea, make her money, pay of her student loans, and then live out the rest of her life in luxury...

It didn’t take Marceline long to reach the coffee shop. She found herself unable to hold back her smile as she spotted her friends through the foggy windows. All she saw were blobs of color, but one particular blob had the butterflies in her stomach going berserk. One thing Marceline loved about Bonnibel – though she’d deny it if anyone ever asked – was the young woman’s love for the color pink. As much as she teased the blonde over her favor of the color it always made her stand out in a crowd. It was something she’d been fond of when she first met the brainy girl in high school and they’d grown attached. Of course, as far as Marceline knew, the immense crush she had on the blonde was purely one-sided. It was perfectly natural for best friends to flirt, right?

Once she’d managed to suppress the jitters she got every time she was in proximity to Bonnibel, Marceline entered the coffee shop. The eyes of everyone in the group went to the door as the electronic ping of the sensor in the entrance sounded. Their faces broke into welcoming smiles. Before she could so much as take a breath to greet them she was swept up by a pair of large, muscular arms and given a back-breaking hug.

“Marceline! It feels like it’s been forever!” Finn laughed, spinning around with her in his arms as she fought for air.

“Finn...Too tight!” Marceline managed to squeeze out. He set her down instantly and offered an apologetic smile, his face tinged pink with embarrassment.

“Sorry. Got a little too excited. I missed you, Marcy,” Finn said, running a hand through his scraggly blonde hair.

“We all missed you,” Jake said, stepping forward with his long-time girlfriend Lorraine on his arm. Jake, Finn’s older brother, wasn’t nearly as tall as the younger man. He came up to his shoulder. He wasn’t as muscular either. But the familial resemblance was obvious in their broad chins and high cheekbones. “Heck, we missed everybody! The only two people I see from our old group are Finn and Raine, sometimes Phoebe when she’s not too busy.”

“Of course you see me, love. We do live together, after all,” Lorraine commented, rolling her eyes before pressing a kiss to Jake’s stubble-covered cheek. He broke out in his signature goofy grin. Marceline had to admit she was a bit jealous of their relationship. The pair had started dating during their sophomore year of high school, but even after all this time the compact Korean woman still had the same effect on Jake. Lorraine separated from her boyfriend and wrapped Marceline up in a hug. “It’s nice to see you, Marceline. It’s been too long.”

Marceline returned the hug, leaning down just a bit. “You too, Raine. Sorry. I’ve been up to my eyes with work and school.”

“You should be sorry for showing up late, ya butt,” Bonnibel said, a teasing grin on her face. Lorraine and Marceline pulled away, allowing the raven-haired woman the freedom to cross her arms over her chest with a snort.

“Oh, give me a break, Bonnie,” Marceline scoffed, rolling her eyes for added dramatic effect. She was only able to maintain her feigned scowl for a few seconds before it gave way to a smile. Damn Bonnibel and her infectious cheerfulness.

“I suppose I can take it easy on you this time,” Bonnibel said. She stepped over to Marceline and put her arms around her, the taller girl’s still crossed between them. After a moment she slid her arms around the blonde’s waist and fought the urge to bury her face in her neck, the all too familiar scent of Bonnibel’s signature bubblegum scented perfume acting as a lure. “Phoebe’s actually the only person who hasn’t shown up yet.”

“Oh, really?” Marceline began, drawing out the vowels. She pulled away from Bonnibel and gave her a challenging smirk, one eyebrow quirking up as she crossed her arms once more.

“Yeah, she said she’d be here in ten minutes, like...” Finn paused to check his watch. “Forty-five minutes ago.”

Marceline’s smile only widened as he spoke, her gaze locked on the Bonnibel’s bright blue eyes. She swore she saw a tinge of blush on blonde’s cheeks. Now she just had to say something. How could she resist? “Guess you just wanted me here so bad you had to call and rush me, huh? Couldn’t go any longer without seeing this hot piece of ass?”

While the others tried to stifle their giggles Bonnibel stammered for a moment, no doubt thrown off by such a direct call out. She cleared her throat and straightened her back slightly before replying. “Marceline, that’s a bit too distasteful,” she said, her face still so red it was almost glowing. “Besides, I know that if I hadn’t called you’d probably still be in bed sleeping the day away.”

“You’ve got a point,” Marceline chuckled. She counted the reaction as a small victory. Lorraine saved Bonnibel from further banter by placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her towards the counter to place their orders, glancing back over her shoulder to shoot Marceline a knowing grin that translated into something along the lines of “I see through your jokes, Abadeer. You’re flirting and we all know it.”

“So, you two hang out much since...Y’know...” Jake asked in a hushed voice.

“Once, but...not really. She hasn’t called or messaged or anything. Neither have I, to be honest,” Marceline said, just above a whisper. She chewed on the side of her bottom lip. It was something she was planning on bringing up to Bonnibel at some point during the day. She figured it probably wasn’t the best idea, but that was a conversation that needed to be had face to face. With their school schedules and Marceline’s job she wasn’t too sure when she’d have another chance to bring it up.

“What’re you talking about, bro?” Finn asked as he shot a curious glance at Jake. The eldest brother simply shook his head as he reached up to ruffle the taller man’s hair.

“Nothing, man. Don’t worry about it. Let’s go ahead and order our drinks.”

Marceline let out a sigh as she stepped up to the counter, the brothers letting her go first, being the gentlemen that they were. She placed her usual order. One extra large strawberry latte. The barista tapped a few buttons on the register and gave her the total. The dusky-skinned girl produced her credit chip from her pocket and ran it over the scanner. After a moment the LED on the device blinked green showing that payment had gone through giving the cashier the signal to go ahead and make the drink.

As she waited, Marceline’s gaze drifted over to Lorraine and Bonnibel, who were now seated in the booth that the group had been a fixture in during their high school days. They were bent over the table talking animatedly in whispers. More than once Lorraine tucked loose strands of shoulder length brown hair mixed with a single cluster of rainbow dyed streaks behind her ear as they repeatedly fell. Bonnibel was usually the one doing that.

Marceline smiled in their direction as she remembered the old days, when Bonnibel frequently wore her hair down. She would speak about one of the topics she was passionate about, and though Marceline rarely understood the material being discussed she’d listen and smile at the sparkle in the blonde’s eye, smiling a bit wider every time the girl had to tuck away some of the strawberry blonde locks that would fall in her eyes in her excitement. In more recent years Bonnibel had taken to wearing her hair up. Whether it was in a tight bun or a simple ponytail, the latter being the case on this particular day. She said it was to maintain a more professional appearance.

The cashier cleared his throat to get Marceline’s attention, her drink in his hand. She thanked him and took her drink to the table. As she approached she noticed that Lorraine and Bonnibel cut their conversation short. It raised suspicions and brought forth a certain amount of anxiety, to say the least. Marceline flashed her best smile as she sat down in the booth next to Bonnibel.

“Did I interrupt the Bonnie and Raine Gossip Hour?” she joked.

“We were just talking about school. No gossip here,” Lorraine said with a smile. Marceline could see in her almond-shaped eyes that she was lying. A glance in Bonnibel’s direction confirmed it. Marceline knew exactly what they were talking about. The tension in the air and Bonnibel’s averted gaze were more than enough to confirm it.

Marceline thought it best to play along, at least for now. The last thing she wanted was to drag anyone else into her situation with Bonnibel, least of all Lorraine (though she probably already knew all about it). Doing her best to keep up the illusion that she was in the dark, she decided to ask the obvious question.

“So, how is school going?”

“Ah, good. Finals went well. This upcoming semester I qualify for a chance to actually go to a school and apprentice under a teacher, so obviously that’s a big thing,” Lorraine explained. She was grinning from ear to ear, exuding an immense love for a group of children she hadn’t even met yet.

If there was one person that had the heart to teach young children, it was Lorraine Ilgagsu. Though she’d been in a committed relationship with Jake for a number of years they both acknowledged that they weren’t ready for children yet. Marceline remembered the talks she’d had with Lorraine in the past about potentially starting a family. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. Both she and Jake loved the idea. At the same time, they both wanted to be able to give their children the best life possible. If that meant putting off babies for a while as they focused on school and potential careers then so be it.

“What about you, Marceline?” Lorraine asked with a small smile. “How goes the music degree?”

“I’ve actually been considering taking a semester off. Sometimes I feel like school sucks the passion out of music, y’know? I mean, it’s so analytical sometimes,” Marceline replied. She sipped her latte, thankful to finally have the caffeine infusion her body so desperately craved. After a contented sigh she continued. “I’ve also been working my tail off at the music shop. Might focus on that for a while and take the time to get back to my roots.”

“You mean the bass?” Bonnibel asked, the corners of her lips tugging up in the smallest of smiles.

Marceline scoffed as if she’d just been asked the most easily answered question in the world. “Of course.”

“You’re not planning on giving up the cello, are you?” the blonde asked. She furrowed her eyebrows just enough for a small crease to appear between them.

“No way. I’m too in love with the cello to give it up,” Marceline answered with a grin. Bonnibel’s frown gave way to a pleased smile. “So, how about you, Bonnie? How’s school?”

“Same as usual,” Bonnie sighed, taking a drink. She shook her head and stared at her hands, which were wrapped around the cup. “I am a bit worried about finals. I mean, they decide who gets to go on and take an internship at CERN working with the best in the field studying micro singularities. That’s like...the holy grail for someone trying to get their start in the larger world of theoretical physics.” The blonde paused, licking her lips as her hand reflexively moved to push hair behind her ear that hadn’t even fallen. Marceline couldn’t help but smile. She saw the signs of Bonnibel’s passion pushing to the surface. It was something she’s missed a great deal. “The person who gets the top scores gets to go for the internship. I guess everyone else just stays at the school and keeps on with the courses or something. I wouldn’t mind doing either, but I studied my ass off and I’ll be rather disappointed if I don’t get the internship.”

Marceline bumped her shoulder into the blonde, something she hoped was reassuring. “I’m sure you’ve got it in the bag. Besides, I doubt any of those other scrubs can even hold a candle to the almighty brain-lord Bonnibel Barton,” she chuckled.

“There are a lot of other people who would literally kill for that internship, Marceline,” Bonnibel remarked. She then let out a scoff, a grin making its way onto her face as she looked over at Marceline. “And contrary to popular belief, I’m not the smartest person in the world.”

“Really? Because you sure act like it sometimes.”

The trio at the booth looked up to see Phoebe, a playful smirk on her face. Despite appearing amiable, there was a hint of bitterness in her tone. It wasn’t unknown that Phoebe and Bonnibel had never been fans of one another. It was something that started when they’d been back in high school. If Marceline recalled, Phoebe had a romantic interest in Finn at the time, and the poor boy was hopelessly smitten with Bonnibel. Granted, she hadn’t come out yet, but she’d made it a point to mention that she didn’t date...boys. It wasn’t until Lorraine sat down and talked with her one weekend that the blonde finally felt comfortable making it public. Of course, the rest of their friends had supported her (Marceline of course being overjoyed at the news). However, the rivalry between Bonnibel and Phoebe had never died.

“Phoebe! When did you get here?” Finn asked. He was grinning like a fool at the sight of his redheaded ex as he and his brother approached with their drinks. Jake slid into the booth next to Lorraine while Finn attempted (and failed) to slide his arms around Phoebe. She was willing to give him her best attempt at a friendly smile as she took a backwards step away from him. It honestly looked more like a pained grimace from where Marceline sat. She couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the guy. He’d messed up the relationship on his own, though.

“Just now. So...Finn. How’s the boxing thing going?” the redhead asked, drumming her fingers on the tabletop.

Bonnibel and Marceline slid further into the booth so Phoebe could take a seat as well. Finn, as large as he was, opted to grab a free chair from a nearby table and slide it to the end of the booth instead of cramming in next to his brother, strategically placing himself to closer to Phoebe in the process. It didn’t go unnoticed. The rest of the group exchanged covert expressions of shock, all of them surprised that she’d been the one to bring up the topic of Finn’s change in career paths. That had been the entire reason for their rather nasty breakup. As the pale-skinned girl had explained to Marceline later on, it hadn’t been that he’d quit school to become a boxer, it had been that he lied about it...for nearly six months. Marceline was tempted to smack him herself when she found out that he’d gone that entire time, leaving the apartment and pretending to attend classes when he was really going to the gym to train.

“It’s going great! I’ve been working my way up in the league, making a name for myself. They even put me on a billboard and everything, advertising my first televised match!” Finn explained. He was beaming with pride. Phoebe, smiling and obviously doing her best to be happy for him, was still uncomfortable. As she shifted in her seat his smile faded. He ran a hand through his scraggly hair and let out a nervous chuckle. “How’s the, uh...meteor stuff?”

Everyone at the table collectively cringed. Just as the signs of anger flickered across Phoebe’s face Lorraine spoke up, saving Finn from what was sure to be the ass-chewing of the ages. “That’s right! You breezed through your meteorology degree! Did you decide to pursue a doctorate or have you found a position anywhere?”

“Putting the doctorate on hold for now,” Phoebe answered, her glare softening some. She turned her green eyes to Lorraine and smiled. “I actually snagged a job with the GOAA. They founded a new branch of the Severe Storms Laboratory and my professor knew a few of the guys who were going to be running things. He sent them a recommendation, didn’t tell me-” She paused to laugh. “-and I get a call a couple of days later asking when they could expect to see my application.”

“Must be nice to get lucky,” Bonnibel bitingly remarked. Marceline and Lorraine locked eyes, the Korean woman’s expression of dread mirroring her own. In her periphery she saw Phoebe smirking. Thankfully her satisfaction at the knowledge that Bonnibel perhaps wasn’t having the easiest time in her own field of study was enough of a win for the redhead that she didn’t feel the need to retort.

The rest of the time spent at the coffee shop went rather smoothly. Jake changed the topic after all of the discussion about school, announcing that he’d secured a position in a rather popular restaurant in the city that catered to wealthy clientele. That lead to a lengthy group conversation about the pros and cons of him starting his own business, which eventually lead to a great deal of reminiscing as they continued to order drinks. After a while all of the previous tension had given way to mirth. A number of humorous and embarrassing anecdotes later, they decided to set out to the streets and begin the second part of their outing.

Marceline was no more excited about shopping than she’d been that morning. She knew the coffee date would end up in shopping. When Phoebe and Lorraine got together it always ended up in shopping. Most of the time Bonnibel would join in as well, but this time she opted out. It worked for Marceline since Finn and Jake had spotted the arcade they used to spend all of their money at in their teenage years. After a short exchange about who would kick whose butt in a game of Kompy’s Kastle they sprinted off.

Lorraine and Phoebe ducked inside of a high-end fashion store leaving the other two women outside. They found a nearby bench and sat in silence. It took nearly half an hour for Marceline to talk herself up and gather the fortitude to finally talk to Bonnibel about her choice to move out a year prior. The decision had created quite a bit of tension between the two, not that there wasn’t tension before. It had just been a different kind of tension. Sure, they could obviously still joke around and carry out conversations, but there was still friction. After taking a long, deep breath, she was finally ready.

“Hey, Bonnie...” Marceline began. Bonnibel turned to face her, eyebrows knitted as she waited for the onyx-haired woman to continue. After she heaving a sigh Marceline was able to find the words for her jumbled thoughts. “Look...I know my timing is probably terrible, but...” Another pause and another sigh. She couldn’t help but cross her arms, tapping her foot as she looked anywhere but at the blonde. This was a conversation she’d been dreading. All the same, it needed to happen. “I just wanted to say that my choice to move out wasn’t meant as anything against you.”

Bonnibel let out a laugh of disbelief, shaking her head. “You were right about your timing being terrible,” she scoffed. “You want to talk about this now? While we’re out with our friends?”

“It’s not something that I felt should be discussed over the phone, so yeah. We’ve been avoiding this for a year, Bonnie...”

“Okay. Well, since you’re apparently set on doing this now, of all times, why did you move out?” Bonnibel asked. Marceline looked up to see that the blonde had crossed her arms as well. On top of that, her posture was rigid and she was scowling.

This was dangerous territory to tread upon. It was clear that a wound was being opened. Either Marceline would confess her feelings or she’d try to lie her way out of it. Her mind raced as she weighed the consequences of both paths. On one hand, she’d be able to confess the feelings she’d had for all these years, though it might result in ruining a friendship that she worried was already irreparably damaged. On the other, she could come up with something and do what she could to repress her affections. Deciding to “play it safe” she went with the latter option.

“I just needed my own space, y’know? And you did say that I was ‘just a problem’. I figured I’d move out so you could study and not have to worry about me bothering you anymore,” Marceline answered, more spite in her tone than she’d intended. Bonnibel’s scowl went from snarky to remorseful.

Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short as Lorraine and Phoebe emerged from the store and the men made their way over from the arcade, arguing like overgrown children. Their timing couldn’t have been more terrible. Both of the women wore their best and most convincing smiles, trying to play it off. Once the group had reconvened Lorraine’s eyes went from Marceline to Bonnibel. She knew something was up. The woman took a breath, no doubt to address the situation, but was cut off by the soft patter of rain. It was enough to make Finn and Jake cease their bickering as well.

“Is...is it raining?” Bonnibel asked. She looked up at the sky and Marceline followed her lead just in time for a large drop of water to hit her face and cause her to flinch. She’d expected the water to be ice cold, but the drops were warm, verging on hot.

“Maybe a pipe burst or something. There’s no way it’s raining warm water in the middle of December. It never rains here in December. Something’s off...” Phoebe commented, scowling at the sky above. Marceline felt the beginnings of sweat forming under her winter coat. She assumed it was a random hot flash until her friends began to shuffle around uncomfortably.

“You guys hot too?” Finn asked, tugging off his coat. Movement at Marceline’s feet drew her attention below. The snow they’d been standing on was melting...fast. She cleared her throat and pointed down.

“I think we should move,” Bonnibel said quickly. She grabbed onto Marceline’s arm and began pulling her along. The melting stopped at a certain point, forming a large circle of wet pavement, the radius of which was cut off by a cluster of buildings. When she looked up she saw that a number of other people on the street had noticed as well. Entire families had began to walk into the large circle of water left on the roadway and sidewalks, marveling at the anomaly.

As the group of friends gathered in the snow Bonnibel began to shake her head. She spoke again, her voice coming out hushed with a hint of intrigue. “This isn’t normal. Whatever this is, it shouldn’t be happening.”

“Too bad you don’t have any of your science gizmos out here or you could do some experimenting until you figured it out,” Marceline joked, shooting Bonnibel a smile as she nudged her with her elbow.

“I’m a physicist, not a meteorologist. That’s Phoebe’s expertise,” the blonde remarked, turning to offer a challenging smirk to the redhead. “So, Ms. GOAA, anything you can tell us ab-”

The world slowed to a crawl for Marceline as a resounding crack emanated from the center of the large circle, just above the ground. Her vision went white from the light of the blast. As she closed her eyes she felt something impact her body with enough force that it lifted her off of her feet. It was similar to what she’d imagined being hit by a truck would feel like, only there was no truck. After being thrown a great distance she finally slammed into the ground, her breath forced from her lungs upon impact. Tears welled up in her eyes. Every miniscule breath she managed was a labor. It didn’t help that the air was filled with smoke.

As she sucked in a painful gulp of air Marceline forced her eyes open. She hated how blurry her vision was, hated how her head felt fuzzy, and most of all hated that she couldn’t find Bonnibel anywhere. It made her panic as much she could through the shell shock. Marceline slowly began to regain control of herself and realized she’d come to a stop face down. Struggling with disorientation, she tried to will herself to get up, the conscious part of her brain screaming at her to find Bonnie. She had to find Bonnie. The only things standing in her way were the sensation that her muscles had been replaced with cement and general confusion.

Marceline’s vision had started to focus, however. While still a little blurry she could make out more of her surroundings. In the rubble-laden street near the sidewalk on the opposite side she swore she saw a woman roughly her age slowly standing. There was no way. No way in hell. That had been where the blast originated. The asphalt was even cracked, steam and smoke rising from the jagged sections of ruined road. Nobody could survive that. What stood out to Marceline above all else was that this woman, whoever the hell she was, was completely naked.

‘What the fuck? This...This has to be a dream...’ Marceline thought. She was trying to convince herself that she’d gone back to sleep after all, that all of this was some twisted nightmare. She’d wake up any moment with her phone ringing again and Bonnibel would scold her for being late to their coffee date with their friends. She’d try and laugh it off, maybe make a few jokes, and then she’d get out of bed and join her friends for a nice day out. This couldn’t be real. It simply couldn’t.

Marceline opened her eyes. She didn’t remember closing them. She also didn’t remember rolling her head to the side. And she had no idea why the woman in the street had walked over to her. The brunette knelt before her, head tilted to the side as she locked eyes with Marceline, who did her best to ingrain the woman’s face into her memory. After a few moments the sound of approaching sirens cut through the eerie silence. The woman’s head snapped up towards the source. She stood, snatching Finn’s coat from the rubble-laden street, shrugging it on before walking away.

Marceline felt a wave of relief wash over her as the woman moved out of sight. She could see Bonnibel now. She wasn’t that far away from her, splayed out on her back as she lay unconscious. The steady rise and fall of her chest let Marceline know that she was alive and breathing. That was a good sign, right? She just prayed that the blonde was alright.

Doing everything she could to once more attempt to reach her friend, Marceline let out a pained groan, every nerve ending in her body radiated excruciating pain. All she could hear was her own heartbeat thrumming in her head. She tried to focus, tried to keep her eyes on Bonnibel and fight off the black haze around her vision that crept inward and threatened to plunge her into darkness. Marceline was able to stave it off for no longer than a few seconds before she slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Aftershock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: SIN is an acronym for Social Identification Number, basically the equivalent of a Social Security Number.

The drone of the news report on the television was what caused Bonnibel to open her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a hospital bed. The second thing was that she ached to the bone. Though she’d never been a fan of hospitals, the dull throbbing of her head was what really had her in a bad mood. Had she sustained some sort of head injury? Maybe that was why she couldn’t remember what had happened to put her there.

A boom and flash from the television mounted in the corner of the room drew Bonnibel’s attention. It was showing what appeared to be footage of the same street where she and her friends had been spending time together, which was the last thing she remembered, shot from someone’s cellphone. The scene seemed normal enough aside from the large circle of thawed snow on the ground. A flash of memory hit.

‘That’s right...There was an explosion,’ Bonnibel thought. Images of her and the rest of the group moving away from the freak occurrence flickered in her mind.

The footage on the television shook violently as a blast rang out and the video showed nothing more than a blinding white light. The amateur footage cut away to a female news reporter at the station’s desk, the ticker below too small for the blonde to read any of it.

“Those videos were only two of the numerous eyewitness videos sent in to us. Right now we have more reports coming in about the explosion that rocked the shopping district three days ago, killing seven people and wounding dozens more. While the cause of the devastating blast is still unknown, government authorities are saying that they do have a suspect.” A picture appeared on the screen showing a young woman with brown hair wearing nothing more than a heavy winter coat, her shockingly blue eyes locked on the camera. Bonnibel felt a shiver run down her spine as she examined the haunting image.

“The suspect is described as a Caucasian female with long brown hair, athletic build, and estimated at near six feet tall. She was last seen wearing a dark blue coat, no pants, no shoes. If anyone has any information about the suspect’s whereabouts you’re urged to contact your local police precinct so she can be brought in for questioning. In other news, developments in...”

The door to her room opened and pulled her attention away from the news report. A weary smile found its way onto Bonnibel’s face as Marceline stepped into the room, flowers in one hand. She returned the smile as she closed the door behind her before sauntering over, posture uncharacteristically stiff.

“Hey there. Glad to see that you’re awake. You had us all worried,” Marceline said with a strained chuckle. She lay the flowers down on the nearby side table before leaning down and giving Bonnibel a quick one-armed hug.

When she pulled away the blonde swore she saw a hint of blush on Marceline’s cheeks. It meant a lot to her that the woman had been worried. Even though she said that everyone was concerned, she was the only one to personally visit. Immediately her mind wandered to the worst possible scenario. The news report said that seven people had lost their lives, after all.

“Is everyone okay? I heard on the news that it was some sort of explosion. I don’t really remember it, but...” Bonnibel’s voice trailed off as the beginnings of tears stung her eyes.

“Everyone’s good. Sore, but no missing limbs,” Marceline answered with a smile. “They let Finn go the morning after. Couldn’t find anything wrong with the guy aside from a few minor scrapes and bruises. Jake, Raine, Phoebe, and myself were released yesterday. They were all pretty worn out and Jake was feeling some nausea so they decided to go straight home.”

“You stayed?”

“Well, I went by my place and changed clothes...But I came right back. I wasn’t going to leave you here all by yourself,” Marceline said with a smirk as she fidgeted with the hem of her red plaid button-down shirt. Bonnibel placed her hands over the woman’s, stilling them.

“Thanks, Marcy,” the blonde softly said.

Marceline’s lips quirked into a smile, her eyes going to Bonnibel’s hand over her own. She moved one of her hands, resting it on top of the blonde’s. “Hey, don’t mention it.”

“So, I’ve been unconscious this entire time?” Bonnibel asked, doing everything she could to ignore the warmth in her chest. Marceline nodded.

“Yep. Three days. The doctors said they didn’t know why you hadn’t come to yet. They checked for head injuries and all sorts of other stuff. Everything came back clean.”

“Hm. Well, I’m awake now. And honestly, I’d like to go home,” Bonnibel remarked with a chuckle.

“Alright. I’ll go and get the doctors. Let’s see if we can get you checked out, huh?” Marceline replied with a toothy grin. Bonnibel nodded, her smile widening. She watched as Marceline stepped out of the room, leaving the door open. The blonde couldn’t help but notice the uneasiness in her friend’s gait, the way each movement she made seemed strained and almost forced. It had her worried that Marceline was hiding any injuries she may have sustained, especially since she’d commented on everyone else in the group but herself.

Once Marceline returned with the doctor Bonnibel was forced to sit through a few more hours of poked and prodded before she was allowed to go home under the condition that she have someone with her at all times. Almost immediately Marceline volunteered to look after her, and the blonde couldn’t have been happier. Sure, the circumstances weren’t the best, but if it meant living with Marceline (even temporarily) then she was perfectly fine with it. Once Bonnibel had been given the go ahead to leave they made a hasty exit. Marceline flagged down a taxi and the pair piled in.

Their first stop was at Marceline’s apartment so the woman could gather some clothes for her stay. Per the doctor’s terms she’d be staying with Bonnibel for at least a week, and pending a secondary examination there was a chance it would be extended. As much as she detested hospitals she figured that if going back meant a chance with more time around Marceline...she’d take it.

Once they’d arrived at their first destination (after a number of detours due to massive roadway closures implemented after the explosion) Marceline hopped out of the taxi, telling the driver to keep the meter running. She was inside for all of five minutes before she stepped back out, a suitcase clutched in one, the sleeve of a shirt hanging out in a rather comical manner. She tossed her luggage in the trunk and slid back into the vehicle. As she slid down in her seat she closed her eyes, eyebrows furrowed as the smallest of grimaces made an appearance. There was definitely something going on with her.

The drive to Bonnibel’s flat was much shorter. When they arrived they decided that they were both rather hungry. Marceline had a tendency to ruin meals when she cooked and Bonnibel was in no mood to stomach one of the woman’s horrible attempts at food, so she ended up cooking the one thing she could prepare without much effort. Spaghetti. They ate in relative silence. Marceline wolfed down her dinner so fast that it made the blonde wonder if she’d eaten at all in the past few days. Deciding not to press it, once she’d finished her own meal she announced that she was going to shower and then head to bed.

Bonnibel’s shower was quick. She normally stood under the water for a while and delved into thought. As much as she wanted to undergo her nightly ritual her general fatigue had her falling asleep on her feet. Apparently surviving an explosion took a lot out of a person. When she’d finished up and was dressed she left the bathroom to find Marceline already fast asleep in her bed, curled up on her side as she hugged a pillow to her chest. The woman hadn’t even properly changed. She’d slipped out of her jeans, but the pair of pajama pants draped over the side of the bed led Bonnibel to believe that she’d fallen asleep in the process of dressing for bed.

The blonde smiled, walking over and tucking Marceline in before heading into the kitchen. She froze as she approached the sink where they’d placed their dirty dishes. Not only were the dishes clean, but Marceline had also put the leftovers into the refrigerator. Bonnibel returned to her bedroom with a smile on her face. It was a rather pleasant surprise. She crawled into bed next to Marceline, staring at the back of the woman’s head. How was it that she’d been lucky enough to have someone as amazing as her as a friend? How had she been stupid enough to let her move out? Bonnibel snuggled up close to her, burying her face in an ocean of impossibly soft black hair and was asleep within moments.

The next morning, as her phone chirped, Bonnibel rolled over, bumping against the other warm body sleeping in her bed. She buried her face in the sheet of silky hair that covered her pillow and closed her eyes, deeply inhaling the scent of crisp strawberries. A smile graced her lips as she lay there pressed against Marceline. She’d missed this closeness, missed all of the nights they’d spend in the dead of winter curled up together in bed. Most of all she just missed Marceline being there.

When the onyx-haired girl had announced that she was moving out of the apartment they’d shared it came as a shock. Bonnibel had been heartbroken. Instead of trying to convince her to stay she did what she did best and ignored every emotion-driven urge screaming at her to say say something to stop Marceline from leaving, choosing instead to throw herself even deeper into her studies. It was easier to block the hurt out that way. She’d been like that since she was a child. When things got hard Bonnibel Barton worked harder. As long as she buried herself under a mountain of schoolwork she’d be able to maintain a purely logical state of mind free from the distractions emotions caused.

Despite her past abilities to block out her feelings Bonnibel had been unsuccessful this time. She’d focus and work and push, but it seemed that no amount of formulas or equations would help her forget about the gaping hole in her heart left in the wake of Marceline moving out. Worst of all, she felt responsible. Guilt and regret constantly ate away at her causing more than a few sleepless nights as well as a decline in the quality of her schoolwork. The decline did not go unnoticed. There was a period of week where Bonnibel had been stuck in her lonely apartment because her professor had spoken with the dean and she’d been brought in for a conference to discuss a mental health break.

As the college’s best and brightest Bonnibel was no stranger to Dean Baxter. To be called into his office was something she’d grown comfortable with. But when the horse-faced man told her that he was worried about her welfare and that he wanted her to take some time to herself away from school she felt that same roiling nervousness in her gut she’d had the first time she met the man. As much as she wanted to protest, Baxter made it clear that he wasn’t asking. Bonnibel agreed to take a short leave, hoping it would help.

The week hadn’t done her much good. She’d laid about and moped for the first three days with the television playing in the background. Her mind was with Marceline. No matter how hard she tried to distract herself it always went back to Marceline. Finally giving in to her emotional side, she’d grabbed her phone and sent the woman a text. To her surprise she answered almost immediately. They made some plans for the weekend that lifted Bonnibel’s spirits.

Unfortunately the visit had been uncomfortable for both women. Bonnibel had run through what she would say a thousand times in her head, rehearsing her apology over and over, hoping that it would be enough to bring Marceline back. When the time actually came they merely sat at the coffee shop awkwardly avoiding each others gaze as they made small talk. The topic of the move hadn’t even been hinted at. That was the last time they saw each other before the gathering at the very same coffee shop nearly a year later.

The blonde’s cellphone chirped again. She opened her eyes, letting out a sigh when she realized she must have dozed off again. Bonnibel shifted in the bed so she could reach over Marceline to grab her phone. Her movements were greeted with a groan of protest. Just as she leaned across, Marceline cracked open one eye and frowned. Bonnibel quickly grabbed her phone and settled back down on the bed with an apologetic smile.

“It’s too early for life right now,” Marceline grumbled. She rolled onto her side with a groan and wrapped a protective arm around Bonnibel’s waist, pulling her close. “Put your phone away, nerd...”

The butterflies in Bonnibel’s stomach went into a frenzy as Marceline nestled her face in the hollow of her neck. She did her best not to completely lose her cool. All she wanted was to kiss her right then and there, to lay bare all of her feelings for the woman in a dramatic and emotional display that would convey all of the feelings she’d kept bottled up for so long in fear of ruining their friendship.

‘No, Bonnie. She moved out for a reason. It wasn’t just the argument and you know it. It was probably because you were giving off weird crush vibes. Just stay calm and enjoy this while you can,’ she thought, closing her eyes as she tried to slow the heavy thrumming of her heart. After a few moments Marceline drifted back to sleep, letting out light snores. She was always so adorable when she snored.

Bonnibel let out a long breath through her nose before she raised her phone, sliding her thumb down the fingerprint scanner. The screen jumped to life and she frowned at the two notifications that were flashing on the screen. She opened the first message. It was one from her school. Her professor sent her a message saying that one of her friends contacted him when she’d been sent to the hospital after the explosion in the shopping district and that she was allowed to take as much time to recover as she needed. No surprise there. The second message was concerning. It was a text from Lorraine saying that she’d had to take Jake back to the hospital. She explained that he’d become violently ill shortly after being released from the hospital and he’d been up day and night sick as a dog.

As she began to type a reply, searing pain rocketed through Bonnibel’s head and called forth a cry of anguish. She dropped her phone and her hands went to her temples as she bolted upright. Marceline said something, but her words were drowned out by the agonizing headache the blonde was suffering. Another wave of pain washed over her and she let out a whimper, falling onto her side and curling up in a ball. It felt like she was being repeatedly lobotomized with a red hot icepick. All she could do was writhe in pain, praying to God that it stopped. The agony reached a fever pitch and Bonnibel swore she’d screamed out. She couldn’t be sure. The only thing she could focus on was how her head felt like it was on the verge of splitting open.

An eternity of anguish later the headache finally dulled to a low throb in Bonnibel’s temples. She opened her eyes and found that she was resting on Marceline’s lap as the girl and stroked her arm tenderly. Bonnibel managed to sit up.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah...I’m fine,” the blonde breathed. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to will away the residual throbbing in her head. “Just a headache...”

“Are you sure? Because I’ve seen your headaches at work, but not even the worst of your migraines has made you scream like that. Maybe I should take you back to the hospital,” Marceline said. While the concern was appreciated Bonnibel felt as though the woman was going a little too far. She wanted to make a biting comment about how she wasn’t a child and that she knew how to manage a headache. Instead the blonde simply offered an assuring yet pained smile.

“I’m sure. I just need some ibuprofen or something,” Bonnibel replied, climbing out of bed. She headed into her bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, shuffling some things around until she found the bottle.

“Hey, Bon?” Marceline called from the bedroom. “Could you do me a favor and bring me a couple of those? I think I might be coming down with something. I’ve got some serious body aches going on.”

“Sure thing,” she said, raising her voice enough to be heard without agitating her aching head. Instead of taking any of the medication out of the bottle Bonnibel just brought the entire thing into her bedroom and set it on her bedside table before going into the kitchen and getting two glasses of water, one for herself and the other for Marceline.

Once they’d both taken some ibuprofen and drained their glasses the two decided to get some more sleep, hoping that when they woke up they’d feel better. They settled in bed, Bonnibel wrapped up in Marceline’s arms. She couldn’t help but think back to their high school days. Memories of frequent sleepovers had the blonde awash in nostalgia as she drifted off to sleep.

The next few days weren’t at all what Bonnibel imagined when her ex roommate had volunteered to stay with her so she could leave the hospital. The days were spent with both women in agony, the unanswered text message from Lorraine about Jake’s condition long forgotten by Bonnibel who could barely function. Any time her mind would drift, wondering about Jake’s condition, the train of thought was always disrupted by searing pain. Marceline’s aches got to the point that she couldn’t stand to move, their severity increasing with the frequency and magnitude of Bonnibel’s headaches. They did what they could to tend to one another, mainly in the form of fetching water and food when one of them experienced a moment of relief. To say they were miserable would have been an understatement.

On day five the worst of the suffering seemed to be over. Marceline was still stiff and sore. Bonnibel still had a low ache in her head. All the same, it was exponentially better than they’d been since the morning after they’d arrived at the blonde’s apartment. The pair chose to remain in bed for the day. Neither of them wanted to risk overexertion and wind up writhing in misery once more.

As they lay there watching television all they could find were more and more news reports about the explosion that had occurred the previous week. There had been numerous sightings of the suspect all around the city, but from what the anchors were saying there had been no luck in tracking her down. Bonnibel found it hard to believe that it was this difficult to track down one woman in the day and age they lived in. There were traffic cameras on every street, security cameras on every corner, and to top it off each person in the world had a unique identification chip embedded in their arm at birth that could be tracked by any government agency entrusted with maintaining the security of the people and investigating crime.

Sure, it wasn’t the best system, and civil liberties had been a major concern when it was first implemented, but after it had been put into place the amount of violent crime around the world had plummeted. That wasn’t to say that is completely disappeared. It was much less frequent, though. The majority of crime these days was in the form of people forging SIN chips, hacking, and the theft of digital assets such as documents and money.

Marceline spoke, dragging Bonnibel from her thoughts. “Y’know, I don’t think she did it,” the woman remarked with a frown. The blonde knitted her eyebrows.

“Why not?” she asked. “She was there when it happened. And the authorities seem to think she was behind it. From the looks of the camera stills and the little bit of footage they’ve released it looks like she’s trying to get out of there as fast as she can. Seems pretty sketchy to me.”

“Yeah, but all of the cameras in range of the blast were shorted out by the shock wave. Hell, all of us were thrown halfway down the street,” Marceline explained. She turned her reddish brown gaze on Bonnibel, eyes narrowed. “Afterward it happened I was still conscious, Bonnie. I was pretty out of it, but I was still awake...and what I saw didn’t really make sense.”

“You’d just suffered what anyone would consider a major trauma. The fact that we managed to walk away with a few bumps and bruises is a miracle. You could have just been seeing things,” Bonnibel remarked. Marceline scoffed and rolled her eyes, obviously irritated at her friend’s skepticism that anything she saw was rooted in reality and not the result of shell shock.

“Whatever, Bonnie. I know what I saw, and what I saw was her-” Marceline shot a glance at the television, jabbing her finger at the picture of the brunette displayed on the screen. “-standing in the exact spot that the explosion came from. She stood up, walked over, and she knelt next to me to...I don’t know, examine me or something?” The woman paused again, shaking her head as she heaved a sigh. “It’s like she was checking to make sure I was okay or something. I have no clue. But she took off when she heard the police sirens.”

“Probably because she didn’t want to get caught. Seven people died, Marceline. I have a hard time believing that her being there was pure coincidence,” Bonnibel said, her doubt evident.

“Believe what you want. Even if she did have something to do with it, I don’t see it being intentional,” Marceline muttered. She rolled onto her side, back to Bonnibel, and pulled the blankets over herself. “I’m going to sleep. Night.”

“Yeah. Good night.”

Bonnibel decided to follow her lead. After turning off the television and the lamp on her bedside table she lay in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling as she thought about the conversation. Whatever Marceline had seen surely wasn’t reliable, right? But it’s not like she’d lie about something. If the suspect in the bombing, as they were calling it in the news, had really taken the time to stop and check on one of the people affected then it could have simply been a sign of remorse.

Perhaps the woman was looking too much into a coldblooded killer’s guilt-driven concern? Whatever the case, bringing it up again wouldn’t do either of them any good. She only hoped that Marceline felt the same way. The last thing the blonde wanted was to get into another argument that drove them apart. After what felt like hours pondering all of it Bonnibel finally slipped into a dreamless sleep, her mind absently registering that the only one of her friends she’d been in contact with in the past few days was Marceline...

The next morning klaxon rang out and pulled Bonnibel from sleep into instant consciousness. Her head whipped from side to side as she tried to pinpoint the source of the alarm, ignoring the string of expletives flowing from Marceline’s mouth. She was left gaping at her phone as it continued to blare. Never had it made any sound like that before. There weren’t even any apps or ringtones on it that sounded anything like it. All the same, the screen on her phone was alight as the alarm continued to sound.

“Leave it to you to have the most obnoxious ringtone in the history of obnoxious ringtones! Fucking answer it already!” Marceline snapped before yanking the pillow out from under herself and burying her face in the sheets, holding the sides of the pillow tight over her ears.

Bonnibel snatched the mobile up from her bedside table and looked at the screen. Instead of a name or phone number the only thing on the display was a line of question marks. ‘What the hell?’

She slid her finger across the screen and held the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hello, Bonnibel.”

“Who is this?” the blonde asked. The voice was female. That much was certain. But Bonnibel had never heard it before. If she had then it was only in passing and she had no recollection of it.

“Who I am is unimportant. What matters right now is whether or not you choose to accept my help,” the woman replied.

“Look, if this is some kind of prank it’s not funny. I’ve had a really rough week and I’m not in the mood to play games,” Bonnibel snapped.

“I assure you that this is very real. They already have your friends. Now they’re coming for you,” the mystery caller said, her voice severe. “I cannot guarantee that you and Ms. Abadeer will be safe if they take you.”

Her breath caught in her throat at the mention of her friends and, specifically, Marceline. She took a shaky breath, not sure whether or not there was any credence to this woman’s claims. Part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. All the same, her inquisitive nature and the fear that was creeping its way up her spine coerced her to play along until she could establish beyond the shadow of a doubt whether or not this was worth taking seriously.

“Who’s coming for us?”

“Go to your window and see for yourself.”

“You mean right now? Right this second?”

“Yes, right this second. Time is of the essence.” Bonnibel climbed out of bed, earning her a confused look from Marceline who had already been well on her way to falling asleep once more.

“Bon, who’s on the phone?” the woman asked, sitting up and scratching her head. The blonde didn’t answer as she crossed the room and went to her window. This earned her a scoff from Marceline that went ignored.

“Across the street you will see three men, one of whom is showing your picture around.”

Bonnibel peeked through the blinds. She let out a gasp. Just as the woman said, there were three men in identical black suits, each of them with a pair of sunglasses on that concealed most of their faces. The blonde felt her blood go cold as the woman who lived on the ground floor across the street from her nodded and pointed in her direction. All three of the men turned their heads to look.

Her breaths came out quick and shallow, her mind racing as she took a staggered step backwards. “What the hell…!? Why are they looking for us!?” Bonnibel asked, on the verge of a panic attack. Marceline approached her wearing a scowl. She went through the window and took a look to see what had her friend freaking out like this.

“Holy shit...Bonnie, what the fuck is going on?” Marceline asked, her eyes wide as she gaped at Bonnibel. The blonde pressed the speakerphone button on her cellphone, her hands shaking so bad that she nearly dropped it.

“I can promise you that you don’t want to find out. Not their way. Now would be a good time to take your leave,” the caller said calmly.

“Wait, you expect us to go out in the snow in our pajamas?” Marceline snapped, barking out a laugh.

“Hopefully you dressed warm last night. I suggest you hurry. They’re coming.”

Bonnibel didn’t waste a second as she sprinted into her living room, grabbing both of their coats and tossing Marceline’s at her. The women had just slipped their shoes on when they were greeted by the sound of knuckles rapping against the front door. They froze, exchanging a panicked glance. When the second set of knocks came they proceeded to the kitchen. There was a window in the unit that led to the back alley. If they wanted to get away from whoever those men were then it was their only chance.

Bonnibel slid the window open. All that stood between them and the alley was the screen. The blonde stepped into the kitchen in search of a knife. Once she found one she turned around just as Marceline kicked, her foot dislodging the screen and sending it clattering to the snow-covered pavement below. Fervent murmurs from the other side of the front door alerted the women that the noise caused by the screen being kicked out had not gone unnoticed. They hastily climbed out of the window and started down the alley, heading right.

“How the hell are we supposed to get away from these guys?” Marceline asked as she shook her head.

“That is a fantastic question,” Bonnibel remarked, holding the phone clutched in her still trembling hand up to her ear. With the ambient noise outside there was no way they’d be able to hear the mystery woman even with her on speakerphone. Before the answer came the sound of Bonnibel’s front door being kicked in echoed in the alley.

“I can help, but you have to follow my instructions to the letter.”

“Sure, fine,” the blonde quickly agreed. “Just...where do we go?”

“When you reach the sidewalk turn left and continue along the street. At the next stoplight turn right and cross the road. The lights will turn red. There will be no need for you to stop. Remain calm and try not to draw unnecessary attention to yourselves.”

Bonnibel grabbed onto Marceline’s hand and pulled her along as they reached the sidewalk and turned left. She shot a glance over her shoulder to see one of the eerie men turn the corner behind them. It took everything the blonde had not to break into a sprint. Despite every fiber of her being screaming at her to run as fast as she could Bonnibel forced herself to at least pretend to be unperturbed. She slid by the occasional passerby with Marceline in tow, barely aware of the woman’s hand in her own as they made their way to the stoplight. The signals in all directions turned red as they approached, halting traffic in all directions and allowing them to hurry across the street in safety.

As soon as the women stepped onto the curb the streetlights resumed guiding traffic as normal, trapping their pursuer behind a stream of vehicles. With the distance between them Bonnibel felt more confident that she and Marceline would make it out of this situation unscathed.

“This next part is critical. You’re going to continue walking until you reach the third alleyway. Before you enter slip your phone into your pocket. There will be two men waiting for you. You and Marceline are going to need to climb on top of the dumpster, jump across the alley, grab the section of ladder that leads to the fire escape, pull yourselves up, and proceed to the roof.”

“Um...See...I’m not what you’d call the most athletic person, so that might be a problem. I’m a physicist, not a free-runner,” Bonnibel nervously chuckled.

“What’s she saying?” Marceline asked. Bonnibel repeated the instructions. “Oh...that is rich...Please tell me she’s kidding.” The blonde shook her head in the negative. Marceline rolled her eyes as they continued down the street.

“I have no doubt that the both of you are more than capable of handling this. Were there another route I would have guided you in that direction. Unfortunately they have done a rather impressive job of boxing you in,” the caller said. Her flat tone was less than reassuring, but Bonnibel figured that she’d give it a shot anyway. The woman had helped them get this far, after all. And even if she ended up getting caught there was a chance that Marceline could get away.

Bonnibel counted off the alleyways in her head. One. It dawned on her that she’d done surprisingly well with all of this given the fact that she knew nothing about the situation that they had been thrust into. Two. She hoped that her “guardian angel”, whoever and wherever she was, would have some answers for them after this. Three. The blonde turned on a dime, dragging her companion along with her as she trudged into the alley. She lowered her phone and looked up to see two men waiting for them, just as the caller said there would be. What the woman had failed to mention that both men would be armed with assault rifles.

“Oh, fuck...” Marceline breathed. It was as if she’d read Bonnibel’s mind. Both women seemed frozen in place, their hands slipping apart and the blonde’s grip on her phone going slack.

As the cellphone clattered to the icy ground below any semblance of calm that the two women had evaporated. They both began to retreat, taking a few shaky steps backwards before finally finding the wherewithal to turn and run. After a single step they were halted as a large white panel van skidded to a stop on the curb in front of the alley. In that moment Bonnibel understood what it felt like to be a hunter’s prey.

Bonnibel glanced behind her to see that both men had advanced. They each grabbed one of the woman, dragging them towards the van just as the panel door slid open to reveal four men inside, the three who had been at the apartment included. Just as a scream slipped from the blonde’s mouth she was shoved into the van, Marceline right behind her. As soon as they were in the door slammed closed. Their mouths were taped and their hands were bound behind their backs. The last thing Bonnibel saw before a black bag was roughly placed over her head was Marceline staring at her, eyes wide with horror. Once the bag was in place the blonde heard a scuffle punctuated by the other woman’s muffled grunts of protest, the sound of someone being hit, and then a thud.

Her heart sank once she realized that Marceline had fallen silent. Thick tears began to spill from her eyes as she cursed herself for not listening. She’d been told not to hesitate, and what did she do? Hesitate. She blamed herself for landing not only herself but the one person she cared about more than anything in this hellish situation, bound and gagged and being whisked away to who knew where. All Bonnibel could do was silently pray to a God she put no honest belief in that they would somehow make it out alive.


	4. Cell Block Talk

Bonnibel didn’t know how long she and Marceline been in the van before it came to a stop. She felt rough hands grab her under her arms as she heard the panel door slide open. When her feet touched the ground she stumbled, her legs numb from kneeling on the hard floor of the van for what she could only assume was hours. The blonde was half-dragged as she attempted to walk and regain feeling in her limbs. The sound of metal scraping against stone rang out. Just before the pinpricks in her legs subsided Bonnibel felt her hands being unbound. The bag was snatched from her head and she was pushed to the cold floor of a small cell devoid of furnishings save a single blanket that had been tossed haphazardly into one corner. She looked up from her position on the ground with pleading eyes, crawling towards one of the men who’d taken her as he stood in the doorway.

“Where is she!?” Bonnibel demanded to know. Without a word the man slammed the heavy metal door shut. She picked herself up and threw herself against the door, standing on her toes so she could peek out of the small slot to try and catch a glimpse of Marceline. “What did you do with her!?”

A gasp escaped Bonnibel’s lips as two men passed in front of her, each of them grasping an arm of an unconscious Marceline as they dragged her past the blonde’s cell. Another door opened nearby. There was a heavy thud and then the door was closed. Several steps of footsteps bounced from the walls as the men walked away. A buzzer sounded, a door slid open, and then it shut with a resounding clang.

“Marceline, if you can hear me, please wake up. Let me know you’re okay,” Bonnibel begged, her voice cracking as she fought the burn of tears in her eyes. She sniffled as she sunk to her knees and rested her forehead on the cold door.

A woman’s voice softly called her name. “Bonnie?”

Bonnibel’s eyes went wide. She shot back up, eyes darting back and forth as she tried to catch sight of the person calling for her. All she saw through the slat in the door was an identical door across the corridor from her and the edges of two more doors on either side of it.

“Lorraine?” the blonde called out.

A man’s voice. “It is you!”

“Jake too?” Bonnibel asked. She let out a watery laugh.

“Phoebe and I are here too!” Finn declared, announcing his presence. He was surprisingly chipper given the circumstances.

“Finn! Aren’t you forgetting someone?” another woman scoffed. Her voice was husky and a bit nasal. Bonnibel recognized it but couldn’t put a name to it.

“Uh...Who is that?” Bonnibel asked, somewhat confused.

Finn let out an exasperated sigh. “Leslie Parker. We went to school with her, remember? And...she’s sort of been stalking me for a while now...”

Upon hearing the name Bonnibel shuddered. She did indeed remember Leslie Sarah Parker, or as she was commonly called, LSP. Back in their school days Leslie had been the queen of gossip, and everyone knew it. No matter how secret you thought something was chances were that she already knew, and if you were like the vast majority of her peers, you were at her mercy doing whatever you could to keep her happy so your secret didn’t get out. As it turned out this was how she’d secured most of her boyfriends back in her school days. It wasn’t that the bleach-blonde girl had been unattractive (she had some pudge around her midsection and thighs, but there was nothing wrong with that) it was that her personality was that abrasive.

“Whatever, Finn! Get in touch with your feelings, babe! You know our love is the real thing!” Leslie exclaimed.

“Leslie, we slept together ONE TIME, and I told you then that it was a mistake and that it never should have happened!” Finn protested.

“It’s okay, Finn! I went online and looked up some stuff about, like, positions and techniques and junk!” Leslie announced. It forced Bonnibel to suppress a gag. “I’m ready for you now, Finn! Isn’t it obvi? I’m so ready!”

“Oh my GOD! Can we please not hear about this?” Phoebe groaned. There was a metallic thud, no doubt from the sound of her knocking her forehead into the door.

“Yeah, dude. I know you’re my brother and all...but I really could do without hearing about this stuff...” Jake agreed. Bonnibel swore she heard Leslie mutter the word “rude”.

“Man...I’m not even saying anything,” Finn said. The tone of his voice was essentially an audible pout. Dreading the idea of having to listen to what would probably become more graphic details about the situation, Bonnibel swooped in like a conversational superhero and changed the topic before Leslie could attempt to engage Finn again.

“So, does anyone have any idea what the hell’s going on?”

There was a pause before Lorraine spoke up. “We don’t know the why behind why we were taken or what they plan on doing with us. For now the only thing that’s happened is daily blood tests. A couple of guys wearing body armor will come in and take us to a medical lab they’ve got down here.”

“They’ll come in, grab one person, take you to the lab to have blood drawn, and you sit there for about an hour while they run tests. Reflexes, vision, stuff like that. No idea why they’re doing it, though. We’ve all tried getting the doctors to say something, but they’re as tight-lipped as the weirdos in the suits...”

“Yeah, those guys are creepy as hell,” Jake agreed. “And apparently we all got scooped up pretty much the same way too.”

“Snatched off the streets in broad daylight by a bunch of guys in black suits wearing black sunglasses, none of whom spoke a single word the entire time...If I didn’t know any better I’d think this was the world’s worst action movie or something,” Phoebe grumbled.

“Right? What kind of world do we live in when a man and his girlfriend can’t go and check the mail without getting abducted?” Jake scoffed.

“At least you didn’t get tased on your morning jog before being thrown into a van,” Finn remarked, chuckling.

“Bro, that’s your own fault for being built like a rock, and knowing how you are you probably tried to fight them off,” the older man laughed. Finn hummed in agreement. “What bothers me is that we have no idea who these people are or why they took us. I mean, we have some theories...”

“I’d venture to say it has something to do with the explosion,” Bonnibel posited.

“That’s what we figured. I mean, it’s the only thing that links us all together unless you count Finn’s romp with Leslie as something that includes her in our group,” Lorraine stated flatly.

“Let’s...let’s not count that. I really don’t want to think about it,” Finn said in a pained voice. Almost immediately Leslie began to go on another one of her “you know you want me” rants. Once she’d concluded everyone chose to ignore that she’d said anything at all.

“Everyone’s had some weird stuff going on, too. Like, I got really sick after getting home from the hospital, yeah?” Jake began. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I went for around three days not being able to keep anything down. Bread, soup, all of it was a no-go. So Raine takes me back to the hospital.”

“The doctors check me out to make sure I didn’t pick up some kind of virus or whatever. They didn’t find anything and they tell me that the best they can do is prescribe me some top notch nausea medication. Raine took me back home and got me into bed, got the prescription filled, yadda yadda. But it gets better.”

“So, I wake up a couple of days later feeling like I could go into a kitchen, pack everything into a burrito, and just go to town. I see that Raine’s still sleeping so I get out of bed being as stealthy as I can since I’m a ninja and all-” Jake was interrupted by a snort from Lorraine. He dramatically cleared his throat before he continued. “Anyway...I got out of bed and went to go grab some grub. I get to the bedroom door and the next thing I know, Lorraine’s screaming bloody murder and pointing at me like I grew a second head or something.”

“In my defense, I did not scream bloody murder. I just...shouted a bit,” Lorraine said defensively. “How would you have reacted if you’d been sleeping and then looked up to see my arms dragging on the floor like that!”

“Wait, what?” Bonnibel asked, kitting her eyebrows.

“His arms were stretching, Bonnie. I don’t mean that he was stretching or he had his arms at a weird angle or something. They were stretching. He was standing upright and his forearms were dragging across the bedroom floor as he walked. I think I was entitled to at least a little bit of a freak out,” Lorraine explained. Phoebe scoffed.

“I still don’t see how you didn’t notice something like that, Jake,” the redhead remarked.

“I was still half asleep! We all know that sleepy Jake can only focus on one thing at a time, and right then and there the only thing running through my mind was ‘Me hungies’!” the man said, a little embarrassed. “Long story short, my arms are super stretchy now.”

Lorraine spoke in Korean, her voice breathy as she voiced her errant thought. What she said roughly translated to “I wonder what else you can stretch”, causing Jake and Bonnibel let out surprised chokes.

“Like, what’d she say you guys?” Leslie asked, obviously not too fond of being left out of the look.

“You don’t wanna know,” Bonnibel and Jake said in unison. This got a hearty chuckle from Lorraine.

“Has anybody else had anything...odd going on?” Bonnibel asked, desperate to banish the mental images her friend’s statement into oblivion.

“Not me! I came out of the hospital feeling better than I have in years,” Finn replied.

“How about spontaneous combustion?” Phoebe asked rather bitterly. Silence hung over the corridor as everyone waited for her to continue. “I was sick after getting back from the hospital too. I had a crazy high fever that just wouldn’t break. It lasted for days. I think it topped out at one-hundred and twenty three degrees.”

“Um...Okay...Because that’s plausible,” Bonnibel scoffed. That kind of fever would have been fatal long before it got to that point.

“I know how it sounds. You don’t have to be a bitch about it, Bonnibel...” Phoebe growled. “I checked my thermometer to make sure it wasn’t messing up or anything. I even used two others just to be sure. It was crazy. I started to feel better the day I was abducted. I went out to check my mail and a few of those suit guys walked up to me. One grabbed me and naturally I got pissed. Next thing I know, I’m punching him in the face and my hand is on fire. Weird part was...” The redhead paused, her tone thoughtful. “...the fire didn’t hurt me at all. I was pretty freaked out and kind of stared at my hand for a second. Then the fire flickered out and that’s when the van pulled up and I got snatched up.”

Bonnibel decided to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. Lying about a pyrokinetic event would earn Phoebe nothing. At the same time the blonde knew that pyrokinesis was complete bunk, at least as far as science was concerned. “Have you had any other...incidents? With the fire thing, I mean.”

“Nope. Just that once. But it’s not for lack of trying,” Phoebe remarked sourly. “How about you and Marceline? Anything happening with you two?” There was something in the woman’s tone, as if she were implying something. Bonnibel narrowed her eyes as she caught it. Whatever happened between herself and Marceline was none of Phoebe’s business...But...Had she really meant it like that or was Bonnibel just being paranoid? The blonde shook her head, convincing herself that she was over thinking the remark. She took a breath to answer but was cut off by an incredibly groggy Marceline in the next cell over.

“No stretching limbs or torch hands with us,” the woman grumbled. “Just headaches, super sore muscles, and one incredibly freaky phone call.”

“Marceline! I’m so happy you’re alright!” Bonnibel cried out. Her eyes watered as she was overwhelmed with joy.

“As alright as I can be after getting bashed over the head...” Marceline groaned, still managing a slight chuckle.

“Wait, you got a phone call?” Lorraine asked.

“Yeah,” Bonnibel replied.

“It was the weirdest shit. Some chick called Bonnie and was trying to help us get away from the suits.” Marceline let out a heavy sigh.

At that point Bonnibel began to recount the details of the phone call. The others listened intently, humming in acknowledgment and curiosity from time to time. The biggest surprise seemed to be that whoever the caller was, they had knowledge about what had happened to everyone else in the group. Before much else could be said on the topic the electronic buzzer sounded again and the door at the end of the hall swung open with a creak. The blonde backed away from the door as a man peered through the slat, his gaze harsh. There was a series of low beeps that rang out followed by the have clang of a latch releasing. With that the door swung open to reveal not only the man who’d looked into the cell, but another man in black body armor matching the first guard’s as well as a doctor. At least, Bonnibel assumed he was a doctor based on the teal medical scrubs he was wearing underneath a pristine white lab coat.

One of the guards entered the cell while the other raised his weapon. It was a rifle of some sort, fully automatic, but Bonnibel didn’t know enough about guns to be able to say much more than that. The first guard grabbed her arms and pulled her from the cell, pushing her towards a door at the end, presumably the one the three men had come through. While in the corridor Bonnibel took note of each door. A small smile flickered across her face as she passed the cell next to her own. Marceline’s reddish-brown eyes met hers for the first time since they’d been taken. Hearing her voice was one thing. To see the woman, even that little of her, gave Bonnibel the slightest glimmer of hope.

“Keep it moving!” one of the guards shouted, pushing the blonde hard enough to make her stumble and almost topple over. Despite the fact that she caught herself the act of aggression did not go without protest.

“Hey! Keep your fucking hand off her!” Marceline roared. There was a thundering slam, which made both guards and the doctor jump, followed by a series of hushed expletives. When Bonnibel looked back at the other woman’s cell door she saw why. The metal was bent outwards, the pinnacle of the damage roughly the size and shape of a fist. The guards exchanged looks of apprehension before the one who had shoved Bonnibel cleared his throat. He made eye contact with the blonde before nodding towards the door at the end of the hall. All three of the men cast glances over their shoulders until one of the guards slid a key card through a reader on the wall next to the door. The buzzer sounded and the door opened.

On the other side of this new corridor were a series of medical suites with large windows. As Bonnibel was led down the hall she took note of the contents of each room. They contained identical medical equipment, some of which were machines Bonnibel readily recognized, but most of which were foreign to her. Some of them looked like the stuff out of science fiction novels. Another thing that Bonnibel took note of was that nearly every room was occupied. There were a number of people, none of them the blonde recognized, being given a myriad of different examination. All but one woman. This woman sat on the examination table in her room with her back to the window, her brown hair spilling over her shoulders and ending in the middle of her back. She almost seemed out of place.

Bonnibel was escorted into the examination room next to the one the woman occupied, the one across currently vacant. Immediately she was told to sit and hold out an arm. The doctor grabbed a needle from a nearby tray. He rather forcefully jabbed the needle into her arm and proceeded to take a blood sample. Once the syringe had been filled he capped the needle and set the sample down on the tray. Both guards stepped out of the examination room, each of them heading down a different end of the hall.

“Um...Why do you need my blood?” Bonnibel asked, furrowing her brows. She wanted to at least try to make an attempt at getting some answers.

The doctor ignored the question and grabbed the small rubber-tipped tool from the tray. He tapped at one knee with the reflex hammer, causing it to jump, before he did the same to the other. The man replaced the tool and began to scribble notes onto a clipboard he’d grabbed from the nearby counter. Bonnibel glanced around and took notice of the guard who’d gone to the right down the hall now walking left, passing in front of the large window. As quick as he’d appeared he was gone again.

A thud against the adjoining wall drew not only her attention but the doctor’s as well. The man seemed more perturbed than anything else. He let out an exasperated sigh before setting the clipboard aside and fishing a pen light from one of his pockets. He clicked it on and held it up to Bonnibel’s face.

“Follow the light with your eyes, not your head,” he ordered. As he moved his arm up and down, then side to side, she did as he instructed. “Now follow the light by moving your head.” Before Bonnibel could comply the door to the room slid open. The doctor let out a growl and spun around to find himself face to face with a guard. “How many times do you people have to be told not to interrupt examinations? This is incredibly unprofessional!” he complained. “I’m going to see to it that you’re made an example of! You won’t work another day for this organization!”

“I do not work for this organization anyway,” the guard replied, her voice cold and severe. Bonnibel had goosebumps. She knew that voice. It was one she doubt she’d ever forget. It was the same voice that attempted to guide her and Marceline to safety.

“What?” the doctor breathed, taking a step to the side and reaching towards a large red button on the wall. The woman slammed the butt of the rifle in her hands over the man’s head. He fell to the ground like a ton of bricks, a trickle of blood leaking from a fresh laceration on his scalp. The woman knelt next to him, wrenching off the doctor’s lab coat and tossing it to Bonnibel.

Sapphire blue eyes locked with her own as she gaped at the woman. Bonnibel could hardly believe what was happening. The number one suspect in the explosion in the city, the woman whose picture had been broadcast on every news outlet in the world, was the same woman who had called her that very same morning in an attempt to prevent her abduction. And now she was here doing what Bonnibel could only assume was attempting to save her a second time.


	5. Fight or Flight

Chapter Four: Fight or Flight

After slipping into the lab coat Bonnibel began to fire off question after question. Who was the brunette? Why had she tried to help before and why was she there now? Why had the group been taken captive? Was all of this related to the explosion in the city, and was the brunette herself involved? Her questions were met with a blank stare that lasted for what felt like ages before the woman finally spoke.

"I would be more than happy to answer all of your questions once we have made our way out of this complex and have reached a safe location," the woman replied flatly. She turned on her heels and approached the door to the examination room, pausing to look over her shoulder at Bonnibel. "Shall we?"

"What about the people in the other exam rooms? And the guards who brought me here with-" Bonnibel nodded towards the doctor that had since been moved out of sight of the window. "-him? Someone's going to catch on."

"The doctors and their...patients..." the woman began, the fifth word coming out in almost a hiss. "...will be too concerned with other things to worry about you and I going into the cell block. As for the guards who escorted you, they will not be a problem. We should leave now. Every second spent discussing this is another second wasted."

Bonnibel heaved a frustrated sigh. It seemed that no matter how much she pushed she wasn't going to get anything from the brunette for the time being. Deciding against hanging around in the examination room she followed the woman, doing her absolute best to maintain a guise of casual confidence. They walked at a normal pace down the hall. When passing the room next to the one they'd departed Bonnibel shot a glance through the window. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of a man she recognized as one of the guards, stripped down to his small clothes, lying unconscious on the exam table.

The guard had the beginnings of a black eye forming and there were a few bruises around his neck. The gentle rise and fall of his chest was a telltale sign that he was still alive. Bonnibel then spotted a sliver of black from behind the edge of the counter she was sure was a part of the second guard's uniform. Actually, she knew it was. Specifically, the section of his pants that had covered his shin. But how did she know that? Sure, she'd always been attentive to detail, but this was verging on bizarre.

As they casually strolled past the examination rooms Bonnibel couldn't help but wonder how the brunette managed to subdue the men...The woman had incapacitated both men, presumably bare-handed, stripped one of them down and stolen his uniform and body armor, and seized both of their rifles and sidearms in what had to be record time. On one hand Bonnibel was impressed and glad to have this woman on her side (she was on their side, right?), but on the other she couldn't help but draw some anxiety from it all. This woman seemed well-trained, almost a bit too professional about everything that had happened. The phone call from an untraceable source, somehow managing to slip into wherever the hell they were, handling the guards and the doctors...Either she'd planned all of this out or her brain was some kind of computer...Maybe both...

The thoughts were pushed to the back of Bonnibel's mind as they approached the door to the cell block. The brunette produced the key card belonging to the guard whose uniform she was now wearing and slid it through the scanner next to the door. There was a clang as the electronic buzzer sounded to signal that the door had been unlocked. The woman opened the door and nodded for Bonnibel to enter first. When the door closed the brunette lingered, half hanging out of the door. A digitized voice from the corridor announced the words "Laboratory Quarantine Protocol Active," and there was a loud buzz followed by the din of metal grates slamming shut.

"What the hell was that?" Jake asked from his cell. Bonnibel wanted desperately to answer but hadn't the first idea of how to do so. She simply stood by, silent, and watched the odd woman slip into the cell block, the door to the medical suites closing behind her.

The brunette, acting as if nothing was amiss, walked to the first cell and looked at the keypad that controlled the lock. Bonnibel watched the woman, wondering how she was going to figure out the code to get the doors unlocked. After a few moments of silence the woman reached a hand out to the keypad and pressed four numbers. Much to the blonde's surprise, the light turned green and the lock disengaged. The woman turned to Bonnibel as she pushed the door open.

"Zero-seven-one-two," she said. Bonnibel nodded and went about unlocking the other doors alongside the woman, freeing her friends. After everyone expressed their joy and gratitude over being released all eyes went to the brunette.

"I see you made a friend, Bonnie," Lorraine remarked, flashing a small smile in the taller brunette's direction.

"We're not friends so much as-"

"Holy shit! It's her!" Marceline exclaimed, interrupting Bonnibel. She let out a laugh and slipped away from the blonde's side to approach the brunette with a mix of disbelief and wonder etched on her face. There was a grin on her face as her eyes flitted to Bonnibel for a moment before going back to their rescuer. "You were the one who called us, weren't you?"

"I was."

"Wait a second, you're the one that everyone and their mother is hunting for right now! The government's been saying that you're to blame for what happened in the city that day," Phoebe growled, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Yeah! Why are you helping us?" Finn asked apprehensively, crossing his arms over his chest as he inched closer to his redheaded ex girlfriend.

"What's it matter, you guys? She's helping us now. As far as I'm concerned, she's good people," Jake remarked, giving the woman a small nod and a friendly smile.

"As uncomfortable as I am with all of this based on how little we know..." Bonnibel sighed. Her eyes met everyone in the group's for a second before moving down and to the side. "I'm inclined to agree with Jake. For now she's our best bet at getting out of here."

"You guys...Don't you think we should at least, like...get her name or something? I don't know about you people-" Leslie snorted, waving a hand haphazardly towards everyone in the group. "-but my parents always told me never to talk to strangers."

"Because getting her name will make her any less of a stranger," Phoebe scoffed, rolling her eyes. Leslie fired back some remark about how the redhead was just jealous of her relationship with Finn (which judging from the man's uncomfortable shifting from one foot to the other made him more than a little embarrassed) that had the two bickering back and forth. After a few moments of Lorraine trying and failing to pacify the pair a stern yet calm voice interrupted, silencing them.

"Alexis." All eyes were on the woman who pressed one rifle into Jake's hands, a handgun into Finn's, and tentatively held the second rifle she'd grabbed from the guards out towards Phoebe, her eyes narrowed. "If I give you this you will not shoot anyone in this group...including Leslie. Understood?" Alexis asked. Phoebe's emerald eyes scanned her for a moment as if weighing the options. She let out a frustrated sigh and took the weapon. Leslie gaped, obviously confused as to why anyone would want to shoot her. Bonnibel couldn't believe that anyone could really be that dense.

"Yeah, fine," the redhead conceded with a huff.

"So, about the getting out of here thing..." Marceline said with a small smile directed at Alexis. "I'm gonna assume you've got a plan in mind?"

"We are going to proceed through the complex until we have reached the parking structure. It is the closest access point to the facility and we will be able to secure a vehicle there as well. If anything goes awry then I will remain and assure that you are able to leave without incident. Take this," Alexis said, holding out a small device to Bonnibel. The blonde accepted it and furrowed her brow. "That device is essentially a hand-held GPS. It has been programmed to take you to the parking garage in the event that we are separated."

"What happens if we get there and you haven't shown up? We're supposed to, what, leave you here?" Marceline asked with a frown.

"Yes. Once you have reached the parking garage the positioning system will recalculate and show you the route to a safe house of sorts. It is imperative you reach the destination – with or without me in your company," the brunette said flatly.

"No. No way. Not after everything you've done for us," Bonnibel argued, shaking her head. She attempted to hand the device back to the woman.

"I appreciate your concern, but there is no need for it." Alexis took the blonde's hand in both of her own and closed her fingers over the GPS, the corner of her mouth quirking up into an awkward yet somehow reassuring grin. "I will improvise in the event that I am held up."

The electronic buzzer for the door separating the cell block from the medical suites sounded before the door swung open with a creak. Everyone in the group turned to see a man in a suit step into the corridor. He froze, eyes hidden by his sunglasses but no doubt locked on the group of escapees and the trespasser who had assisted them. The man took a breath and let out a roar that reverberated off of the walls. As he wailed his jaw and mouth began to distort and stretch, widening until it threatened to split his head in two, lips peeling back to reveal two rows of razor sharp pointed teeth that hung like daggers in a gaping maw. Alexis spun around, mild panic – the first real emotion Bonnibel had seen from the woman – on her face as she began to push everyone through the door. The only thing that Bonnibel heard over the sound of her heartbeat and that thing's wailing was a one word directive from the brunette: "Run!"

Bonnibel broke into a sprint, her friends following her lead. She shot a glance over her shoulder to see the creature in the suit scrambling forward on all fours at an impossible speed, limbs bent unnaturally. Alexis was still at the door, her hands on the edge as she put her weight into slamming it shut. The woman wasn't quite fast enough. She caught the creature's head in the door, liberating its sunglasses as the skull warped like it was made of gelatin. What disturbed Bonnibel the most was the monster's eyes, or rather its lack of them. In place of eyes it had two pitch black voids with pinpricks of green that flitted from the fleeing group to the woman that had it trapped, thrashing with its head stuck between the door and the frame.

Turning her attention back to getting the hell away from whatever that thing was, Bonnibel looked down at the GPS device in her hands. They were approaching an intersection in the hallway, running so fast that she couldn't take in any details about their surroundings other than blurs of color she assumed were doors. The phosphorescent orange trail highlighted on the GPS led down one of the hallway's branches. Before the turn Bonnibel looked back one last time just as the suit-clad creature pushed through the door with enough force to throw Alexis to the ground on her back before lunging at her.

"Left!" she shouted out, sliding a bit as she sharply turned the corner with her friends doing the same. Finn wasn't able to catch himself before he hit the wall, mostly due to the fact that Leslie had slammed into him during the turn and accidentally pushed him into the corner. The man was able to instantly recover, grabbing onto Leslie's arm and pulling her along so the woman didn't fall behind. Once they'd reached the opposite end of the hall the black-clad being skittered into view, hands and feet clawing at the ground in an attempt to gain traction on the floor as another guttural shriek rose from its jaws. Before it could follow, Alexis flashed into view, throwing herself at the creature and sending them both down an adjacent corridor.

The group followed the hall they were in. Their only option was to turn right and head through the door at the end. Bonnibel hit the solid wood with her shoulder, unable to stop due to the amount of momentum she had. She twisted the knob and the group stumbled into what looked like a floor of an office building. Row after row of cubicles were laid out before them. Bonnibel's eyes went to the GPS device in her hand. She started off down one row when the sound of glass shattering on the other end of the expansive office area pulled her eyes to her right.

In a glistening shower of shards from a window came Alexis, her arms raised to shield her face as the monstrous creature that she was grappling with slashed with fingers that had elongated into menacing claws. The woman hit her back with a loud "OOF!", using the directional force of being pushed to launch the monster off of her as she performed a backwards somersault. With a snarl that caused a stream of green slime to ooze from the monsters mouth, it caught itself and once more ran at Alexis.

"Jesus! That thing won't quit!" Marceline exclaimed, watching as Alexis grappled with the beast. She shifted from one foot to the other before giving Bonnibel a stern look. "We have to help her."

"You heard her say not to wait up! I think she knows what she's doing," Bonnibel argued, wanting to get as far away from whatever that hellish thing was. At this point her fear of being mauled was outweighing anything else she felt.

"Marceline's right. Besides, we have guns, right?" Finn said. He fixed a determined gaze on Alexis and the creature as they continued to exchange blows. He raised the handgun the brunette handed him in the cell block and took aim.

Phoebe slapped his arms down and glared. "Finn, what the fuck! You've never fired a gun in your life! With how they're fighting you'd probably end up shooting Alexis instead of that thing!"

"I don't see anyone else doing anything!" the man declared defensively. Before anyone else could offer a potential solution Jake grabbed Lorraine, pressed a kiss to her lips as he shoved his rifle into her hands, and charged forward.

The man jumped on the creature's back just as it broke one of its hands free from the lock Alexis had it in, wrapping his arms around the monster's neck and locking one hand onto his opposite wrist. The monster snarled and instead of slashing at Alexis made a grab for Jake's head. Jake jumped away from the creature, his arms stretching while he maintained a grip around its neck. With a cry of exertion he pulled as hard as he could, his arms going tight, and caused the creature to fall away from Alexis and stumble before tripping and falling onto its back.

Jake turned his attention to restraining its arms, grabbing them and pinning them down while keeping ample distance between himself and the gnashing teeth. Alexis seized the moment, throwing herself on top of the creature and straddling its chest. She swung her fists over and over, smacking the monster around for a moment before her eyes landed on a rather large piece of jagged glass. She grabbed it, no doubt slicing her hands in the process, and raised it above her head in both hands, plunging it into the monster's head with a crunching squelch. It wheezed a dying breath and, after a few weak twitches, went still.

After taking a few moments to gather themselves Jake extended a hand to Alexis. She took it and he helped her up by returning his arm to its normal length. She clapped a hand on his shoulder as a wide smile danced across her lips. "You realize that you are probably crazy, yes?" she laughed, an almost musical sound. Jake chuckled and nodded as they walked to join the group, all of them fixated on the body of the creature.

"Yeah, I know," Jake said. He pressed another series of kisses to Lorraine's lips and cheeks as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck, going on about how he was brave and that it was amazing, but never to do anything like that again.

"Dude, are you okay?" Marceline asked, concern plain in her expression. This prompted Bonnibel to pull her eyes from the dead monster and look Alexis over. The woman had some superficial cuts, probably a result from being thrown through the window, as well as a split in her bottom lip and a series of gashes on her left arm where it looked like the creature's claws had taken a piece out of her. There was also a light stream of red dripping from her fingertips to the floor.

Alexis nodded, running her tongue over the cut on her lip. "I will be fine," she stated flatly before turning her gaze on Bonnibel. "I recall telling you to proceed without hesitation."

"I-"

"Perhaps I should not have been cocky. Your delay may have saved my life," Alexis interrupted, the corner of her mouth tugging up into a cock-eyed grin.

"Um...You guys...We've got, like, company," Leslie announced, pointing towards the double doors on the far side of the floor. A number of guards filed in, each of them with a rifle. A few of the men opened fire immediately, causing the group to scatter. After hitting the deck Bonnibel crouched behind a desk, Marceline and Alexis on either side of her.

"What now?" Bonnibel asked over the din of the gunfire, flinching and covering her head as a section of the desk splintered from the impact of a bullet. Alexis drew the handgun from the holster on her belt before flashing a smirk.

"We improvise."

The brunette stood, spinning around the corner of the desk. She fired a shot at one of the men across the room before blocking a punch from a guard that had taken advantage of the suppressing fire his comrades had laid down. She slammed her handgun into the man's face, jarring him, and then grabbed onto his wrist to flip him over her shoulder. He was so close that Bonnibel heard the air being pushed from his lungs as he hit the ground. Without skipping a beat Alexis aimed and fired a single shot into his chest. She whipped around and continued to shoot at the other guards.

"Holy shit! Alexis is officially a badass!" Marceline exclaimed, an impressed grin on her face. She crawled over to the dead man and liberated the sidearm from his holster. Bonnibel gaped at the woman as she checked to make sure the safety was off.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" the blonde asked, not sure whether to be horrified, excited, or a mixture of both.

"I mean, how hard can it be? Just point and squeeze, right?" Marceline let out a nervous chuckle. "Can't be that different from a video game."

Bonnibel rolled her eyes as she took the gun from Marceline and made sure that it was in firing condition, scoffing. "It's nothing like a video game," she grumbled.

"How would you know!?"

"My dad used to take me hunting before they closed off the wilderness preserves," Bonnibel explained. She let out a shaky breath and readied herself for what she was about to do. The blonde shot a glance at Alex who had taken cover behind a desk a few rows down. She was in the process of reloading her weapon when she looked over and made eye contact for a moment. As the woman popped up over the desk to fire a few shots Bonnibel turned her attention back to Marceline. "Just...keep close and try to stay behind something, alright?"

Before the woman could respond Bonnibel stood, keeping her center of mass behind the desk. She raised the handgun and took aim at a guard who had his rifle trained on a desk on the other side of the room, no doubt where one of the others was currently avoiding the line of fire. Time seemed to slow down for Bonnibel as the adrenaline finally gained a foothold in her system. She'd only ever shot at animals, and even then it brought her to tears to even think about actually harming one of them. These were people, human beings...But her life literally depended on it. She had no doubts that if they were caught they'd be killed as opposed to returned to their cells.

Bonnibel inhaled through her nose and held it for a moment, calculating the exact angle she'd need to hold the weapon at for her shot to be fatal. It was as simple as basic arithmetic to her. Once she'd adjusted her aim she squeezing the trigger. The gun jumped in her hand as the round left the chamber with a flash. She began to exhale. The man she'd aimed at jerked as the bullet hit him in the chest under the arm, no doubt shredding his lung. He hit the ground just as she'd finished letting her breath out. The blonde ducked back behind the desk to see Marceline peering around the other side of their cover.

"Um...Nice shot, Bonnie. So, yeah, you hold on to that," the woman said, pointing to the handgun with an awkward chuckle. A few minutes later the gunfire ceased completely. Between Finn, Jake, Phoebe, Alexis, and Bonnibel, the men had been taken out with reasonable haste.

"Anybody hit?" Alexis called out. Everyone began to stand, looking around to one another while shaking their heads. All eyes were on the brunette as they regrouped and waited for her next recommendation. The woman nodded, the corner of her mouth tugging up ever so slightly. "We should make haste. The parking garage is only a short distance away but I guarantee that there are more men en route."

"What if more guys show up?" Leslie asked, shuddering before she grimaced and buried her face into Finn's chest, much to the man's displeasure.

Alexis opened her mouth to respond but Bonnibel beat her to it. "Then we improvise."

"How much farther until we reach the parking structure, anyway?" Phoebe asked, obviously a bit on edge. Hell, everybody was. It wasn't every day that they found themselves engaging in a firefight.

"We are nearly there. Once we have proceeded through the office there is a series of corridors that must be navigated that will lead us there," Alexis explained. She nodded toward the same doorway that the GPS she'd handed Bonnibel indicated as their way to the parking garage.

The group fell in behind the brunette, those with weapons taking the front behind their guide. After peeking around corners and sprinting down halls they eventually hit the parking garage door. Alexis opened it, twisting the knob with her hand before kicking it open, her handgun raised as she pointed it along her line of sight, scanning from left to right. She nodded to Bonnibel before the door closed, letting her know that the way was clear. She moved into the structure behind Alexis, her friends footsteps echoing behind her.

They made their way past a few rows of vehicles until they reached a jet black SUV that stood on its own. Alexis looked at the door for a moment, her head tilting from one side to the other before she reached out and opened it. She unlocked the other doors and everyone piled in, Bonnibel taking the passenger seat, Phoebe, Leslie, and Marceline climbing into the row of back seats while Lorraine, Finn, and Jake crawled into the very back.

Just as the back hatch of the SUV closed a series of gunshots rang out. All of the group looked through the back window to see not one, but three of the monsters in suits standing there in the parking structure with their faces turned in their direction. Alexis let out a cough as she placed her hand near the center console, a USB cord in her hand. She plugged it in and almost instantly the vehicle's engine sprang to life. The tires squealed as the brunette slammed the vehicle into gear, backing out of the spot swiftly. She put it into drive and floored it, the front aimed at the three beings in suits that stood sneering at them. The trio leaped from the path of the vehicle as it moved towards the exit.

The bright sunlight greeted them as the SUV emerged from the parking garage and into the street. Bonnibel grabbed onto the door handle as the vehicle sped out of the structure and went airborne for a moment before slamming down onto the roadway. Alexis cut the wheel hard, rubber screaming as the SUV slid into a turn sending them down the street at breakneck speeds.

"Oh my glob, who taught you how to drive!?" Leslie shouted, doing her best to peer between the front seats to glare at the brunette.

The woman didn't respond as her eyes flitted to the rear-view mirror. She simply held her arm out, grabbing onto Bonnibel's seat to form a barrier between Leslie and the cab. It turned out to be quite beneficial. The SUV bucked as the keen of metal against metal rang out. Bonnibel glanced in the side mirror to see a sleek black sedan behind them, the bumper askew, driven by one of the suit-clad beings with another sitting in the passenger seat and a third in the process of standing through the sunroof, a rifle in his arms.

"Get down!" Phoebe yelled, grabbing Leslie and pushing her into the floorboard. Everyone else ducked just as a flurry of bullets began to pepper the back of the vehicle, one hitting the back windshield and raining a spray of glass down on the SUV's occupants. Even Alexis flinched as more shots pocked the exterior of the vehicle, the pursuit car veering to the side so the shooter could rain a hail of projectiles along the driver's side.

"Hold on," Alexis ordered sternly. As they approached an intersection she cut the wheel and sent the SUV into a second sliding turn, somehow maintaining control of the over-sized hunk of metal.

The engine roared, pistons thundering under the hood as she slammed down on the accelerator. The SUV skirted along and grazed another vehicle and caused the driver to lay into their horn before the tires caught traction and sent the group rocketing away from the sedan they were being chased by. Alexis straightened the wheel, eyes locked on the road. Bonnibel chanced a look behind them to see the black sedan crash into the back corner of the car they'd grazed, shredding the bystander's bumper. She hoped the unsuspecting driver and any passengers they carried were alright. The creatures in the suits were less concerned. The one hanging from the sunroof wore a smirk as he looked from the totaled car to the SUV.

Sirens approached, no doubt hailing the arrival of a number of police cars intent on stopping the chase before it got out of hand and too much destruction was caused. The SUV weaved in and out of traffic as they continued to flee. Alexis glanced over at Bonnibel. The blonde met the young woman's gaze and noticed a gleam of excitement. Or...was it a literal gleam? It looked as though the brunette's left eye had a dim glow similar to the orange phosphorescent trail on the GPS device she'd been given.

"You still have your weapon, yes?" Alexis asked flatly. Bonnibel nodded. "Good. Anyone with a weapon and ammunition should be prepared to use them. This will get worse before it gets better."

Bonnibel nodded, ejecting the clip from her handgun. She had five rounds left. The sounds of weapons clinking filled the SUV, though it was barely audible over the whipping wind and growl of the engine. Tired squealed as Alexis took a hard turn that sent the vehicle off-road. Dust kicked up behind them as they slammed through a chain link fence, bullets still pinging against the car as the sedan began to catch up. The route they were taking led them under a section of the freeway. Alexis cut through the area, driving between a pair of support pillars and straight to a tunnel entrance. Brakes engaged and sent the SUV sliding once more. It seemed to Bonnibel as though Alexis had been a stunt driver in another life. Some of the maneuvers she was pulling off seemed unrealistically perfect. The blonde was worried that even the slightest miscalculation would send them into a roll that, at these speeds, would no doubt kill them all.

Upon entering the tunnel Bonnibel noticed that the sirens were even closer. She looked in the rear mirror and spotted three squad cars, lights flashing, that had fallen in line behind the black sedan. The suited monster was still firing at them. Jake let out a growl before ducking behind the back hatch, peeking up with his own rifle in his hands and firing a few shots that ricocheted off of the car with no effect.

"You mind holding this thing steady? It's hard enough trying to shoot from a moving vehicle, but you've got this thing weaving back and forth like crazy!" Jake shouted above the rush of wind and the erratic ting of bullets against the body of the SUV.

"If you would prefer they shoot the tires out, then by all means I can cease evasive actions," Alex snapped, her brow knitting in frustration. Jake let out a scoff before he continued attempting to shoot at the men chasing them.

As the tunnel ended the vehicle emerged onto the freeway. The black sedan was still gaining on them, a few of the shots actually entering the vehicle. Bonnibel heard Alexis let out a pained cry and looked over to see that one of the rounds had narrowly avoided Phoebe and penetrated the driver's seat, embedding in the brunette's shoulder. The woman, although obviously in pain, seemed otherwise indifferent and continued to drive. She guided the SUV in front of a pickup truck before speeding up to dip behind the trailer of a large semi just as another burst of gunfire peppered the passenger side.

The group continued to weave in and out of traffic as Finn, Jake, and Lorraine did their best to fire back at their pursuers (Phoebe had handed her rifle off to Lorraine, as there was no way she'd be able to be of any use from her seat while the three in the trunk area had the best vantage point). Alexis pulled the SUV alongside another vehicle, temporarily shielding them from the black sedan's line of sight. After a check in the rear and side mirrors she sped up some, overtaking the vehicle next to them. Muzzle flashes from the other side of the vehicle left Bonnibel a bit confused. The man in the suit hadn't been firing at them, so...what was he shooting at?

The back tires of the car in front of them burst, signaling the answer to Bonnibel's silent question. In a spray of sparks brought on by the wheel wells grinding against the asphalt, the car began to slide before momentum caught up with it and caused it to flip dangerously, their own vehicle speeding towards it. Bonnibel heard Marceline swear from behind her as she took cover, bracing for the worst. To her surprise the sound of grinding and twisting metal passed them as the SUV thundered down the road. Alexis had barely managed to avoid hitting the unfortunate vehicle caught in the trail of destruction being blazed as they fled.

To the collective horror of the group, the car carrying the three men in suits had overtaken them and was now in front, the man with the rifle showering the hood and windshield with bullets. Alexis swore and slammed on the breaks just as a shock wave hit the SUV from behind. Bonnibel took a look in the rear-view mirror to see all three police cruisers and the overturned vehicle engulfed in flames as a reddish-black plume of smoke ascended from the wreckage.

The monster hanging out of the sunroof climbed on top of the sedan. In what could only be described as an act of pure insanity, he jumped from the roof of the sedan and landed onto the hood of the SUV. As the metal crunched beneath his fine leather shoes, it was so jarring that even Alexis uttered a string of expletives as she manipulated the steering wheel to keep the vehicle straight. Bonnibel took the opportunity to lower her window, aim the handgun she had a grip on, and fire the remaining rounds in the magazine. All of them hit what would normally be considered the kill circle, a tight grouping in the center of the chest. Despite that the creature let out a monstrous roar of defiance. Alexis, obviously fed up with dealing with the beasts, slammed on the breaks and send the creature hurtling off of the hood to the pavement. Before it could pick itself up she slammed her foot down on the accelerator and ran it over, the SUV rocking a bit as the front and back wheels crunched into the monster's body.

"I've had it with this shit," Alexis growled. Bonnibel must have been the only one to hear the brunette speak, as she was the only one to look up at her. The young woman rolled her window down a bit before fishing her handgun from her waistband and firing a single shot. Time slowed down for Bonnibel. She watched as the bullet left the chamber in a flash. It sped through the air, perfectly aimed at the back driver's side tire of the sedan. Upon impact the rubber shredded and the car began to weave as the man at the wheel lost control. At the same time they neared a freeway exit. The sedan pummeled a series of traffic barrels before hitting the concrete structure that served as the start of that section of freeway wall, the SUV taking the ramp and leaving their pursuers far behind.

After a few minutes Marceline was the one to speak up.

"So...did we lose 'em?"

"I believe so, yes," Alexis answered, her tone rigid.

"What now?" Lorraine asked loud enough to be heard over the whipping wind.

"Now we go to the safe house. It's a number of hours from here. Feel free to relax while you can," the brunette said. She looked in the rear-view mirror at Lorraine, her gaze the softest it had been up to that point. "I don't know how many more opportunities you'll have."

With that, the vehicle went silent. Bonnibel felt Marceline's hand wrap around her seat and claw at her own. She held it, their fingers entwined for a long while until the woman's grip went lax. The blonde looked back to see the object of her affection fast asleep, as well as a few of the others. She heaved a sigh, her eyes on the road.

After turning the GPS device over in her hands a few times Bonnibel looked over at Alexis who, despite her injuries, seemed as lucid as ever. Not that it was a bad thing seeing how she was the one driving. The blonde wanted to start up a conversation to break the silence that had fallen over the vehicle as one by one her friends fell asleep. She didn't understand how it was possible seeing how they'd just been through the most intense day of their lives. At the same time, as the last rays of the sun descended below the horizon and cast them in darkness illuminated by nothing more that the headlights of the SUV and the dim glow of the dashboard's console, Bonnibel felt her eyes grow heavy. Without realizing it she drifted off into much needed sleep.


	6. Breaking News

The SUV jerked and rumbled causing Bonnibel to smack her head against the window. She grumbled out a string of expletives and opened her eyes. It was still nighttime and the only illumination in the car was the slight glow of the dashboard console, the headlights, and pinpricks of silvery moonlight that danced through the windshield. For a moment she wondered how long she had been sleeping, but that was pushed the back of her mind as she looked out of the window to see trees zipping past.

They were traveling along a dirt road through a forested area. Every now and then Bonnibel would catch sight of an animal scurrying away from the road, obviously unused to the presence of something as loud as the SUV. The vehicle passed a sign that the young woman was just barely able to read. It indicated that they were in the Humboldt-Yoiyabe Wilderness Preserve...The very same wilderness preserve her father used to take her hunting in as a child.

It had been nearly ten years since the wilderness preserves were closed off to people in an effort to preserve some of the planet's natural beauty. During what became known as the Second Digital Revolution humanity expanded so much that the planetary ecosystems were devastated. The forests and oceans had been the hardest hit. After the Unified Global Government was conceived the first issues addressed were the havoc that had been wrought by the overwhelming expansion of major cities and the pollution of the environment. One of the biggest projects they focused on was the restoration of forests and oceanic cleanup.

Wilderness preserves were started and using advanced horticultural technologies they were able to breath life into the dying forests and plains that existed outside of the bustling concrete and steel jungles of the cities. It had been a day of celebration worldwide when it was announced that the wilderness preserves were to be opened to the public. At that time many people hadn't seen more than a few trees in their lifetime, and many of those had been grown for the sole purpose of decoration by the wealthy members of society to display in their homes or places of business.

The wilderness preserves were a hit with the public, generating massive revenue in their first few days. Unfortunately, the influx of pedestrian traffic left them in a bad state. Once the people in charge of monitoring and keeping up the preserves noted the decline in the overall health of the zones they were closed off again after a mere fifty years.

Bonnibel was one of the luckier people in her generation. She had many fond memories of visiting this place in her younger years. Her mother and father would pack up for a weekend, sometimes a week or two, and they'd head out and stay in a little place that had been left to them by the blonde's great uncle on her mother's side.

Great Uncle Gumball, Bonnibel had called him. It was a nickname he'd earned from the young woman when she was just a small child and still had difficulties pronouncing some words. The man's name was actually Arthur Gumbel, and he had been a pioneer in the world of genetics in his heyday. There were more than a few laboratories that were named after him both before and after his death. He had been one of the biggest influences in Bonnibel's decision to pursue science as a career. Granted, physics and genetics were two different fields, but her parents assured her that he would have been remarkably proud of his little Bubblegum.

As she thought about it Bonnibel realized that, not only were they in the same area of the same wilderness preserve as her great uncle's cabin, but they were on the same dirt road that would take them to it. But there was no way that Alexis had managed to find it, right? The cabin itself was tucked deep into the preserve far away from where anyone would normally think to look. Many times Bonnibel's father, who had been going there since just before he and his wife had married, ended up lost if he didn't come prepared with directions or GPS coordinates.

All the same, the brunette brought the SUV to a stop next to a familiar wooden fence. In front of the worn cabin was the same tree stump Bonnibel's father had spent many a morning chopping wood at. Through the low branches of the trees the blonde could make out that familiar brick chimney jutting from the roof of the wooden building. As much as Bonnibel wanted to think it was some sort of coincidence, she couldn't. Coincidences didn't happen as often as they'd been happening lately. The explosion, her friends being targeted for kidnapping, and now the cabin...They all had one thing in common: Alexis.

The brunette laid into the horn once, waking the occupants of the vehicle. After some groaning they began to file out, taking care to avoid the chunks of the back windshield that littered the vehicle. Jake, being the gentleman he was, insisted that he and Finn climb out of the back hatch first so he could lift Lorraine out to assure she didn't end up cutting herself. It was a sickly sweet gesture that had Bonnibel covertly rolling her eyes. She climbed out and closed the door to see Marceline opening her own door and stumbling from the back seat. The taller woman leaned against the SUV and rubbed her eyes, the disorientation of sleep still having a hold on her. Bonnibel opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the nasally voice of the other blonde in the group.

"Oh...my...glob..." Leslie began. She sounded absolutely horrified. "You can't expect me to stay here...This place is all gross and green! No lumpin' way!"

"Can't you just swear like a normal human being?" Phoebe growled as she knuckled the sleep from her eyes and climbed out of the vehicle.

"Uh, no! Swearing isn't ladylike. Not that I expect you to know what being ladylike is about. It explains a lot about why you and Finn didn't work, though," the pudgy blonde remarked with a sneer. Before Phoebe could reply Marceline hurriedly grabbed onto Leslie, dragging her out through the still open door. Bonnibel wanted to thank her. The last thing they needed right now was for people to start fighting.

"Just shut up, dude. You're playing with fire and you know it!" Marceline paused and shot the woman a threatening glare. "And show a little appreciation! Or did you forget about the fact that Alexis saved all of our asses and is giving us a place to lay low? Beggars can't be choosers. You'd better get used to it."

After a moment Leslie huffed and crossed her arms. "There better at least be a phone. Melissa's gonna lose her mind when she hears about all of this."

"You're not calling anyone, Leslie. The whole point of coming out here was to hide," Bonnibel said with a sigh, her brow furrowed. She shot a suspicious glance at Alexis, who was now the only person still inside the SUV. "Right?"

Alexis nodded in response before finally filing out. She trudged towards the cabin door, the group following her. She opened the door to the cabin and stumbled inside. It didn't go unnoticed. Bonnibel shot a concerned look towards Marceline, whose eyebrows were knitted with her eyes locked on the brunette. Once the lights in the cabin had been turned on the source of Alexis's sudden ungraceful gait became clear. Despite the shirt and armored vest she wore being black there was obvious staining. The fabric and Kevlar also glistened a bit, the blood covering them not having dried just yet. There, on the woman's right shoulder, was a hole in her shirt from where she'd been shot during the car chase.

Pain shot through Bonnibel's head, causing her to clamp her eyes shut and raise a hand to her temple. Suddenly she recalled a book she'd read during her first year in college, a book she'd long forgotten about. It was a medical book that went into great detail about injuries caused by projectiles and the proper medical procedure to remove them. It was as if the knowledge had been burned into the blonde's memory, every word as fresh to her as if she'd just read it. Without thinking she began to rummage through the living area of the cabin in search of the medical field kit they'd kept there.

"Whoa, Bonnie...What's got you going?" Finn asked in a concerned tone. Without looking over at him Bonnibel went to the cupboard in the small kitchen nook and began to rifle around in it.

"First aid kit. Alexis has a bullet in her shoulder," the blonde said flatly. She was in hyper-focused business mode, the same state she got in whenever there was some important experiment or assignment that needed her full attention.

"It's downstairs," Alexis said, her words slurring ever so slightly. Bonnibel paused and peeked around the corner at her, obviously confused. As far as she, knew her great uncle's cabin didn't have a downstairs...At least not one that they'd be able to access. After seeing the question on Bonnibel's face Alexis went to the small closet that was built underneath the staircase that led to the cramped attic above. The brunette opened the door and cleared a number of boxes and other random objects to reveal a simple trap door of sorts, a small ring handle bolted to it.

Bonnibel remembered this door well. Despite the cabin being willed to her father after Great Uncle Gumball passed away, this was the one place her family had never seen on the property. They were given no information about it and no instructions on how to get the door to open. Her father had spent hours pulling and tugging on that door trying to get it to budge. No amount of straining or trying to break through it had ever worked. Unable to hold back anymore, Bonnibel spoke up.

"What makes you so sure you're going to be able to get that thing open? It hasn't been opened in twenty years..." she scoffed.

Alexis looked her dead in the eye and pressed down on a section of wood near the door. It popped up and she pulled it aside, revealing a small keypad, before typing out a series of numbers that the blonde realized was her birthday. With that, a low click rang out, and the door in the bottom of the closet opened to reveal a short set of stairs that led down into a bunker beneath the cabin. The concrete room was filled with all manner of computers and various other instruments.

It finally made sense to Bonnibel that her family had never been able to open the hatch. It's not like you build a secret bunker under your cabin if you want your family to know about it. But how had Alexis known? And how had she figured out the code? Regardless of the hows or whys, it worked out in the group's favor. Alexis pointed out a cabinet that Bonnibel checked out. There she found the medical field kit she was looking for.

Bonnibel grabbed a metal tray that was perched on one of the desks. There was a series of petri dishes on it that she set aside, taking the tray as well as the med kit over to Alexis. The brunette turned the dial on a television set that was wedged between a computer and a table, a news broadcast playing that was rehashing the same information about the explosion in the city as well as all of the other updates they had been feeding the public for the past week. Bonnibel paid it no mind as she guided Alexis to a nearby exam table.

The brunette was able to slide the body armor over her head on her own with little difficulty. Bonnibel had her lie down on her front before opening the first aid kit and taking out a pair of shears. She cut away a large section of the thick, long-sleeved shirt Alexis had on to allow plenty of space for her to disinfect the site around the entry wound. The television droned on in the background while Bonnibel pulled a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some gauze out of the kit. Her attention was pulled away as the television began to emit an odd whine. The blonde looked up to see the broadcast undergoing some sort of interference.

"It looks like we're ex-fzzzzzt-ome kind of technical diffic-brrzzzk!" the news anchor said, static cutting in and out as she spoke.

The picture of the anchor's desk finally faded out and cut to a well dressed man standing against a simple tan backdrop. He was massive, his barrel chest and broad shoulders so large that it seemed like he needed to wear the top few buttons of his shirt open, and even then the white fabric still looked strained. He adjusted the black suit jacket he wore, a smirk of superiority playing across his wide mouth. He had a large chin, adding to his almost bear-like appearance especially with the salt and pepper beard he wore trimmed close to his face. Green eyes that almost seemed to glow were veiled by a prominent brow that was creased in the center as he glared directly at the camera. After running a hand through his short gray hair he let out a gravely chuckle.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who was running for some top government position?" Finn asked, frowning at the television screen.

"Yeah, his name's William Lichman," Bonnibel said, turning her attention back to the injured woman she was tending to. She moved on auto pilot, as if she had taken up medicine instead of physics and spent more than her fair share of time in an emergency room at some hospital. There was no hesitation at all as she cleaned the area around the wound and set the bloodied swatches of gauze she'd used aside. "And he didn't just run for some top position, he was trying to get elected to the top position."

"I remember him. Didn't he have to pull out of the race because he had some sort of mental breakdown or something?" Lorraine asked.

Marceline let out a wry laugh. "That's an understatement. The guy went completely bonkers on worldwide television, ranting and raving about the 'scourge of humanity', how he had the solution to all the world's problems, and that if he wasn't elected that everybody would be sorry. He even looked completely nutter butters." She regarded the refined looking man on the television and scoffed. "Looks like he's cleaned himself up a bit."

"Hello. I'm sure you all remember who I am," Lichman said, his lips curling back in a sneer that showed off two rows of pearly white teeth. Bonnibel's eyes flitted to the television screen for a split second as the smooth and almost too-refined baritone voice rang out. It was a voice that demanded to be heard...and it sent a tendril of fear creeping through the blonde.

Bonnibel took a second to steady herself before she grabbed a pair of sharp ring scissors from the medical kit. She listened to Lichman's broadcast, which was occasionally interrupted by muffled groans of pain from Alexis as she began to cut away some of the more badly damaged skin around the entry site. Given that there was no form of anesthetic or painkillers in the cabin or first aid kit, the brunette was taking the pain in stride. Nobody could blame her for the whimpers that escaped her. Even if they would have thought to, the rest of the group seemed too enthralled by the imposing figure on the television to pay her any mind.

"I wanted to extend an offer to the people of the world. There is a group of individuals that I would rather enjoy finding. You see, these people look like any one of you. They work, go to school, have lives just like the rest of the insects scurrying along. To you they are nobody. To me they are very, very important," Lichman said, his eyes narrowing a bit.

Bonnibel looked up as she cut away the last of the badly damaged skin around the entry wound to see pictures of herself and her friends flash one by one on the screen, names underneath each picture. The last photograph displayed was of Alexis, though no name was given for her. Whoever she was, nobody knew her. That could only mean that she'd somehow gone her entire life as if she'd never existed. At the same time, here she was lying on her front having a bullet pulled out of her shoulder in a bunker that Bonnibel's great uncle had constructed beneath his cabin in the middle of the Humboldt-Yoiyabe Wilderness Preserve. Talk about the twists and turns down the road called life.

Lichman continued his monologue just as Bonnibel grabbed more gauze to wipe away fresh blood that began to leak from the wound. "There is a storm coming. Clouds will cover the globe, blocking out the sun and raining down mutagenic horror. None will survive. However," the man paused. Despite the fact that Bonnibel was currently working a crumpled bullet out of Alexis's shoulder with a pair of forceps she knew Lichman was sneering. She could hear it in his voice, even over the yelp the brunette made as the forceps slipped and stabbed into the side of the hole left in the bullet's wake.

"Whoever gives me any information leading to the capture of these people will be spared the horrific death that awaits the rest of the human race," Lichman continued. Bonnibel grasped the bullet with the forceps yet again, this time getting a better grip on it.

"Now, I'm not an unreasonable man...and these people have proven to be rather elusive."

The blonde tugged as carefully on the hunk of metal in Alexis's shoulder as she could, feeling it give a bit. Finally the bullet came out, coated in a thick layer of tissue as if her body had been hard at work for weeks trying to close it off. Bonnibel knitted her eyebrows as she examined it for a moment. Just like so many other things that had happened recently, this wasn't normal.

"To anyone interested on taking me up on my offer, you have three weeks."

The man's broadcast ended as Phoebe turned the television off, punctuated by the clink of the bullet being dropped on the metal tray that Bonnibel had been using as a receptacle for the bloodied gauze. Everyone but the blonde and Alexis were standing in horrified silence. No doubt they were wondering if what they'd just witnessed was some kind of sick prank or if there was truth behind it. Bonnibel, however, had other concerns at the moment. She grabbed another square of the sterile material and prepared to press it into the wound to help clear out anything that may have remained after the projectile was fished out. Before she could, Phoebe spun on her heels with nothing but anger in her emerald eyes.

"You knew about this, didn't you!? This is YOUR fault! You somehow dragged us into this bullshit and now w-"

"Phoebe, I swear to god that if you don't shut the fuck up and let me finish what I'm doing here that some asshole flashing your picture on the television is going to be the least of your problems!" Bonnibel yelled, her volume and tone matching the redhead's. It was obvious that Phoebe wanted to say something, but she bit her tongue.

The exchange seemed to snap everyone out of their stupor and they all began to watch Bonnibel work, deft fingers finding a needle as she began to patch up the hole left in Alexis's shoulder once the wound had been properly cleaned of excess blood. Once she finished Bonnibel wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand before turning to Phoebe.

"If you want to talk to her do it tomorrow. She just had a projectile pulled out of her shoulder without anything to numb the pain. After everything she's done for us the least you could do is let her get some rest before you start grilling her," the blonde said in a more calm and level tone. She helped Alexis sit, the brunette sickly pale and looking like she was on the verge of passing out. Bonnibel led her up the stairs and into the cabin proper before guiding her into one of the bedrooms. Once she'd finished helping the brunette change into something reasonably clean that had been retrieved from the dresser in the room Bonnibel made her exit.

The rest of the night was spent in relative silence. Everyone emerged from the bunker and sat around the living room while Jake rummaged for food so they could all have something to eat. The cabin was well-stocked with a surplus of survival rations, but outside of that there wasn't anything else. Once everyone had eaten Bonnibel directed Lorraine and Jake to the other bedroom in the cabin. They retired and thanked her, leaving the blonde to gather together sleeping bags and blankets from the same closet where the trap door was located. It wasn't the most comfortable of arrangements but it would have to do for now. That first night in the cabin was spent with most of the group sprawled out in various places in the den.

As expected, they awoke the next day sore (with the exception of Jake and Lorraine, who seemed as though they'd experienced a much-needed infusion of vitality). Bonnibel went to check on Alexis, who was still out cold. The group went about the day not doing much of anything. Idle conversations were had here and there. More than once Phoebe made a remark about wanting answers from Alexis that prompted Bonnibel to get up and check on the woman. The brunette remained asleep for all of that and the next day. At that point Bonnibel was finding it impossible to sleep. After grabbing one of the winter coats from the closet and slipping it on she made her way to the cabin's small front porch and sat, simply enjoying the night as she reveled in her memories of the place. The blonde was pulled from thought as the door to the cabin opened and closed behind her.

"Hey."

Bonnibel looked over her shoulder to see Marceline standing there with a small smile on her face. She returned the smile with a simple "Hey."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" the woman asked as she walked over, waist-length black hair flowing in the slight breeze. Marceline looked positively radiant.

"No. I just wanted to get some fresh air and clear my head. The past week's been pretty crazy, y'know?" Bonnibel replied, her eyes going back to the verdant valley of treetops as she tucked her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them, arms wrapped tight around her legs. Marceline sat down next to her.

"Crazy's one way to put it," she scoffed. The onyx-haired beauty bent one knee and draped an arm over it. "I can't help but feel like this is some kind of dream. I keep expecting to wake up in my bed completely disoriented and having to remind myself that none of this was real."

Bonnibel was quiet for a moment. When she finally spoke her tone was bitter. "It's all real, though. None of it makes sense, but all of it's real." She turned to Marceline who looked over and met her gaze. "How the hell did this happen?"

"You're the smart one, remember? You're supposed to be the one answering my questions," Marceline said with a chuckle, obviously trying to brighten the blonde's mood. She leaned over and bumped their shoulders together reassuringly.

"If I'm the smart one then why is it that I can't seem to figure out what's going on? Since the explosion it feels like I've been walking through the dark without a flashlight. Something tells me the answers are right in front of me and that I'm just too stupid to figure it out," Bonnibel said, knitting her eyebrows in the same way she did every time she ran into a problem that she had difficulties solving.

It was just so damn frustrating. Bonnibel Barton, proclaimed as a genius by everyone who knew her, felt her life spiraling out of control in the worst ways. What made it all worse was that she had absolutely no idea how to fix any of it. She'd been fighting tears for the past couple of days and she just couldn't do it anymore. Not being in control was driving her to emotional extremes. With a sniffle Bonnibel felt tears begin to run down her cheeks. She shook her head, angry at herself for her emotional outburst, and in front of Marceline no less.

Bonnibel felt Marceline put an arm around her shoulders and allowed herself to be pulled into the other woman's side. Being close to her had always been comforting in ways the blonde couldn't quite explain. For a moment she wondered if her best friend had any idea how much the physical contact had always helped.

"You're not perfect, Bonnie. I mean, you're pretty close to it, but nobody's perfect," Marceline said with the slightest sigh. Bonnibel couldn't help but feel a rush of heat in her face. To her that was one of the sweetest compliments in the world, especially since Marceline was the one who had said it. After a moment Marceline continued speaking. "There are times when something comes around that you can't figure out on your own...and that's fine. You've got the rest of us here to help. You've got me here...And if it makes you feel any better, I don't think anyone else has the slightest clue as to what's going on either."

"Alexis knows," Bonnibel half-growled. Her thoughtful frown turned into an angry glare. "She's got to know something. Why else would she have gone to the lengths she did to help us?" the blonde asked with a shake of her head. She let out a cynical laugh.

"I'm sure she'll tell us when she wakes up. Seeing how she was mauled by, uh...whatever that thing was...and then took a bullet for us...I've got to think that whatever it is has to be pretty damn important," Marceline said frankly.

"It had better be. We're all neck-deep in some fucked up conspiracy involving guys in suits and monsters and terrorists...It's like the plot to some terrible knockoff of that crappy Wachowski trilogy," Bonnibel grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"What?" Marceline asked incredulously, drawing out the 'a'. "You loved the Matrix movies."

"No. You liked them. That's the only reason I sat through your rerun marathons," Bonnibel chuckled. Leave it to Marceline to change the subject. As she rested her head on Marceline's shoulder, which had her signature silky hair draped over it, she could honestly say that she didn't mind. The blonde took a deep breath and reveled in the woman's scent. They sat in silence until the first rays of daylight began to peak through the trees. How long had it been since they'd enjoyed a sunrise like this? Too long. They'd have to do it again sometime.

After sitting outside for a couple of hours Bonnibel and Marceline went back inside to find the rest of the group just waking up. Even Jake and Lorraine had wandered into the lounge area from the second bedroom. They were both currently in the kitchen nook working on preparing some form of breakfast from the stockpile of emergency rations, though Jake was less than pleased about not having actual ingredients to work with and grumbled as his girlfriend relentlessly teased him about being spoiled by working in a five star restaurant.

Finn was on the couch with a sour look on his face as Leslie, somehow already wide awake, hung all over his arm and gabbed about anything and everything that came to her mind. In the armchair by the fireplace was Phoebe. She was sitting forward with her elbows on her knees as she stared at the charred wood within the unlit fireplace. Bonnibel figured the redhead was trying to will the wood to light aflame or something, if only to prove that the pyrokinesis thing she'd mentioned earlier was legitimate.

About the same time Jake turned the burners of the stove off the door to the main bedroom opened. All eyes went to Alexis as she stepped into the room. Somehow, despite the blood loss and the impromptu bullet removal, she seemed perfectly fine. She'd even changed clothes, swapping the t-shirt she'd been handed by Bonnibel before she'd gone to sleep and tactical pants she'd kept on for a simple long-sleeved shirt and a pair of slightly baggy jeans (though she'd elected to keep the boots).

The brunette took a seat on the couch as Jake and Lorraine began to divvy out the food to everyone. He'd found some powdered eggs and some odd paste that he said was supposed to be meat, but as Bonnibel prodded her own portion with her fork she cringed. Not wanting to risk it she decided to just stick with eating the eggs. The group was piled into the living area, Lorraine, Jake, Bonnibel, and Marceline seated on the floor as everyone ate in silence – a silence that Phoebe predictably broke.

"How about those answers you promised us, huh?"

Alexis froze, her fork in her hand and mouth open to take a bite. The brunette heaved a sigh and set the utensil down on the plate in her lap, eyes rising to meet Phoebe's hard glare.

"Perhaps you should start with the questions and I'll give you the answers I have?" Alexis suggested, one eyebrow quirking up slightly as a small and unpleasant smirk found its way onto her face.

"Fine," Phoebe snapped. She scowled as she continued. "First of all, what in the hell's going on? Do you know why we were all abducted?"

"Yes, and you weren't the only ones. Or did you fail to notice the other people undergoing the same examinations that you all went through?" Alexis asked flatly. "From what I was able to gather during my infiltration of the complex you were liberated from, it seems as though whoever was running the place – William Lichman, I assume – was doing research into altered genes that result in the manifestation of certain...abilities."

"Does that mean that we've all got like...superpowers or something?" Jake asked from his spot on the floor. Lorraine gave him a gentle elbow to the ribs.

"That would be a reasonable conclusion, yes." Alexis paused to take another bite of her food, swallowing before she continued. "Data I found in the complex showed that you were tracked using blood samples taken at the hospital when you were brought in after the explosion."

Once again Phoebe was ready to seize any opportunity to jump on Alexis. "Speaking of the explosion, all of the news reports say that the government's looking for you in connection to it. Were you behind the bomb that went off?" the redhead asked, her tone of voice and stance aggressive.

"I was not. In fact, I've been looking into what could have caused it," the brunette replied casually. Bonnibel knitted her eyebrows, taking note of the woman's shift in demeanor. One moment she was almost mechanical and the next she was acting perfectly normal.

"What have you been able to find out about it?" Marceline inquired after shooting a slight smirk at Bonnibel, no doubt in regards to the conversation they'd had the night before their abduction. Alexis gave a shrug.

"Not a whole lot. I've spent most of the time I've had down in the bunker working on fixing up the equipment so I could find her," the brunette explained, nodding towards Bonnibel. Everyone turned to look at the blonde who was doing her best to wrap her head around the sudden revelation. This entire time Alexis had been looking for her.

"But...why? Why me?" Bonnibel breathed, confusion and shock mingling and sending her mind into turmoil. She felt the beginnings of another headache stirring. After pinching the bridge of her nose she looked up at Alexis, who wore a thoughtful frown as if she was honestly searching for the answer. As the brunette licked her lips Bonnibel narrowed her eyes, noticing that the split on her lip that had been fresh a few days prior was now almost completely healed.

"I...do not know. I just know that you're important. All of you are," Alexis said, her voice soft. She blinked a few times before she spoke again. "I have been having issues remembering things since that day. All I am certain of is that the threat made by William Lichman is legitimate..." She paused and looked around the room. "...And that I need your help to stop him."

Phoebe scoffed. The rest of the group, with the exception of Leslie (who seemed rather uninterested with anything but Finn), exchanged glances of uncertainty. Marceline set her plate aside and addressed Alexis with nothing but the utmost concern.

"What kind of help do you need?"

"The first step is to find Lichman. I've been unable to do so on my own. He is very cautious when it comes to his movements," Alexis explained. A grin crept across Marceline's face, as if the young woman had thought of the perfect solution to the problem. Bonnibel knew what the woman was thinking, and she was vehemently opposed.

"No. Not him. Anybody but him, Marceline," the blonde remarked with a shake of her head.

"C'mon, Bonnie. He's the best option at this point!" Marceline insisted. "I know that he and I haven't really seen eye to eye on a lot of things in the past, and I know what a dick he can be, but when it comes to helping me out when I really need it he won't let me down."

"You're not talking about who I think you are, right?" Lorraine asked with a frown as she set her own plate aside and crossed her arms.

"Come on, guys! Seriously! My dad's done a lot of really shitty things in the past, but he'd never hang me out to dry if I honestly needed him," Marceline said with a bit of a frown. Bonnibel wasn't sure if she was trying to convince the group or if she was trying to convince herself. Then again, Hunson Abadeer had never done anything that would have put his daughter in jeopardy. And as the founder and CEO of the world's leading technological research and development corporation he did have the resources to help them out when it came to tracking down Lichman.

"We cannot afford not to utilize any instruments at our disposal. Lichman gave the world three weeks. This means that we have three weeks to stop him by any means necessary," Alexis said, her tone severe. She let out a small sigh before setting her plate aside and standing. The brunette made her way towards the closet door and the entrance to the bunker, turning to look over her shoulder before she spoke. "If you feel as though your father will prove valuable in this effort then I do not believe that we have any other options. My own efforts have proven fruitless. When you are ready to contact him meet me in the bunker. I will set up a secure line in the meantime."

After Alexis disappeared into the bunker Bonnibel turned to Marceline with a scowl on her face. "Marceline...are you serious right now? Hunson, of all people, is the person you turn to for this?" she asked angrily.

"Yes! I mean, if there's anybody out there who can help us, it's him!" Marceline replied both defensive and angry.

"I like how you say 'us'..." Phoebe grumbled, her arms crossed tight over her chest. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I want no part in this. I just want to get back to my life and pretend like none of this ever happened."

"No offense, but I really don't think that's an option for any of us anymore. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't trust Alexis. I mean, sure, we don't really know all that much, but has she steered us wrong yet?" Lorraine asked.

"Raine and I talked about it the other night," Jake added, a solemn expression on his face. He scratched at his stubble before he continued. "We figure that if Lichman's legit about his threat that we really don't have much of a choice. If Alexis needs our help then we're willing to help her." He looked around the room, his brown eyes almost pleading. "We'd like to think that you guys would have our backs too."

"You know I'm in, bro!" Finn declared, standing from his seat on the couch with a confident smirk on his face. Leslie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"If Finn's in I guess I am too," she scoffed.

"Alexis said that Lichman's serious, so that sort of makes my decision for me," Marceline said with a grin. She nodded towards Jake and Lorraine. "Count me in." Her reddish-brown eyes found their way to Bonnibel. "How about you, Bonnie?"

"I..." The blonde really didn't know what to say at that point. At the same time, if there was anything they could do to stop the end of the world she'd be remiss in her duties as a responsible citizen and as a human being if she declined, right? And Marceline elected to help. That in itself had the blonde's mind made up. There was no way she was going to let Marceline throw herself in the line of fire without being there to back her up. "Yeah. I'll help."

All eyes were on Phoebe at that point. The redhead shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the slightest hint of a blush graced her cheeks. After a moment she heaved a sigh of frustration. "Well, if all of you are going ahead with this I guess I am too. God, this is just like high school. You guys were always convinciing me to do shit..." she grumbled.

"Aw, you know you had fun!" Finn insisted with a bit of a chuckle. Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"I guess that settles it, then!" Marceline exclaimed, setting her own plate aside and standing. "We're in this until the end!"

After hums of agreement she elected to head down to the bunker to contact her father, requesting that Bonnibel go with her for moral support. Of course the blonde agreed. She understood how strained the relationship between Hunson and Marceline was. It had been that way since the woman was a child, starting with the death of her mother. It wasn't something that either of the remaining Abadeers had dealt with well. They took it out on one another, though in Marceline's case her animosity towards her father was more because the man had essentially stopped being a father after the death of his wife.

Bonnibel had heard all of the stories. In her childhood and teenage years Marceline would go days and sometimes weeks in the care of various nannies and other staff that Hunson had hired to look after his daughter while he handled business with his company. It had apparently been his way of coping with his loss. In the process he neglected to see that his only child was suffering as well. This left a bad taste in Marceline's mouth, as it would anyone. Any time the topic was brought up and she told a story she would always say that no child should have to mourn that way on their own. Bonnibel was inclined to agree.

The conversation with Hunson was rather short and to the point. Afterward Marceline recounted the details. The man said that he was more than happy to assist, and that the group could meet him at one of the distribution centers that was rarely used on the outskirts of the city. From what Marceline said, he seemed more than happy to help them out, expressing a great deal of concern with the fact that her picture and name had been shown on global television in the same breath as a terrorist threat against humanity.

Preparations didn't take long. Alexis insisted that the group go with whatever weapons and ammo they had. This consisted of the remnants of what they'd secured during their escape from the research complex (thought that supply was almost dry) and the few hunting rifles kept in the cabin. They loaded the beat up SUV and headed out. Bonnibel made mention that it may have been in the brunette's best interest if she stay behind given her injuries, but the woman refused and insisted that she accompany them. It didn't sit well with the blonde but she found herself unable to argue. It was almost like arguing with herself, and that was something she knew would go nowhere.

Alexis drove through a series of back roads leading through the wilderness preserve before finally entering the city. The route she'd taken brought them within a few blocks of the distribution center where they were to meet with Hunson. When they arrived they found the lot empty. The entire place had an almost eerie silence that hung in the air. Based on the shuffling the group did it was obvious that everyone had taken notice of it. They were all on edge.

That feeling of collective anxiety didn't waver any as the group filed out of the bullet-riddled SUV and made their way into the warehouse. They trudged through the floor room and found their way to the offices, each of them with the exception of Leslie holding a weapon. It had Bonnibel wondering why they'd even brought her along in the first place. She was turning out to be rather useless. All the same, she was there, and even Bonnibel couldn't deny that they were probably going to need all of the help they could get. Alexis had said it best. They could not afford to not utilize any resources they had.

Marceline lead the way, opening the door that lead to a small windowless office. The only things inside of the office were a few filing cabinets and a computer that sat atop a rather cheap desk. Behind the desk sat none other than Hunson Abadeer. Even sitting down in what he probably considered a casual manner, the man was imposing. His pressed suit and well-groomed dark hair always gave him the air of professionalism he'd worked to cultivate his entire life. A pair of simple glasses sat on his nose, though it didn't seem he needed them as he was watching the group over the top of the frames. His fingers were tented as he eyed them all one by one, his gaze finally coming to rest on his daughter.

"Marceline. It's nice to see you," Hunson remarked, his voice as stiff as he was.

Marceline shifted a bit under her father's scrutinizing watch before she responded. "Yeah, you too. So, uh...You said you were down with helping us?"

Hunson hummed in response and nodded before standing. At the same time, the door they'd entered through and the other door in the office opened. In both doorways stood a team of men, each of them armed with rifles, sunglasses concealing most of their faces. Bonnibel felt her blood run cold. She knew that Hunson's offer to help them had to be too good to be true. All the same, she hadn't expected this, that the man would turn his daughter over to the very same people who were after her. The man had never come across as cowardly, the kind of person to sell out family to save his own skin.

"D-dad!? What the hell!?" Marceline shouted as she looked from both doorways and then to her father.

Hunson let out a sigh. Before he could speak Alexis hurled herself forward, her normally calm demeanor shattered in a fit of rage. A crack rang out as her fist hit Hunson square on the jaw with enough force to throw his glasses from his face. Before she could follow up with another punch two of the "men" in the suits moved on her, one of them wrapping and arm around her neck and throwing her onto her rear while the other trained his rifle between the brunette's eyes.

"How uncouth," Hunson grumbled, retrieving his glasses from where they'd landed on the floor. He cleaned them off before placing them back on his nose, straightening his tie as he glared down at Alexis. There was no doubt that he wanted to strike her. His unwavering 'professionalism' would never let him do so, however. After a moment he cleared his throat, his dark eyes going to Marceline who was frozen staring at him incredulously.

"Don't worry, Marceline. They're not here for you. I managed to negotiate with Lichman. He agreed to allow you to remain free as long as I turned over your...friends..."

"Are you fucking kidding me!? I come to you for help and you pull this!?" Marceline screamed. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she shook with rage.

"It's better this way. You know I only want what's best for you, sweetie," Hunson said, his gaze softening some.

"How the fuck do you know what's best for me!?" Marceline roared. "You don't know the first thing about me!"

"You're my daughter. I think I know enough about you to know that these people have been holding you back and getting you involved in things you shouldn't be," the man said, furrowing his brow. He stepped around the desk and placed a hand on Marceline's shoulder that she promptly slapped away.

"Well, you're fucking delusional! You always have been, just like when you tried to hook me up with that loser desk jockey despite the fact that I'm a flaming homo!" she yelled. This made Bonnibel freeze, her breath catching in her throat. Had Marceline just said she was gay? It was so typical that it had to happen just as everyone but her was about to be carted off for what was more than likely an execution. "You're the worst! As far as I'm concerned, I don't even HAVE a father!"

At this Hunson merely chuckled, adjusting his glasses on his face with an almost nostalgic sigh. "Ah, you're just like your mother. You've got so much of her spirit, you know. Always so willful..."

"Don't you fucking talk about her, you piece of sh-"

"I know it's hard to understand now, Marceline," Hunson began, cutting the woman off. "One day you'll see that this was all for the best. When you're the head of the company you're going to look back and thank me for what happened here today." He turned to the suits and nodded. "You can take them away now."

The men filed into the room, each of them with their weapons raised. Two of the men had to stay back, guns trained on Marceline to prevent her from following Bonnibel and the others as their weapons were taken and they were escorted out of the office. Bonnibel cast one last look back through the open door to see Marceline weeping silently as she watched, all of them helpless. If this was going to be the last time they saw each other then the blonde wanted to make sure she tried to make it as good as she could, forcing a watery smile onto her face. Somehow, even with tears streaming down her cheeks, Marceline managed to be as beautiful as ever.


	7. Responsibilities

Of all the places he could have taken her to, it had to be there. Of course it was there. Hunson was apparently a self-centered asshole who only thought about what would be convenient for him, completely ignoring the affect that his actions would have on anyone around him, especially his daughter. After his betrayal at the warehouse he and the two suits that stayed behind loaded Marceline into Hunson’s limousine and they traveled to the massive estate that had been owned by the man since before the birth of his only child.

The estate was considered extravagant even by high-society standards, with an elaborate and maze-like garden adorned with a wide variety of foliage that hadn’t been seen in the world for some time, elegant marble statues rising up through the greenery. This place had been the pride and joy of Marceline’s mother before she passed. The woman tended to each plant, spending most of her time outside. As a result Marceline also spent a great deal of her time in her younger years outside...at least until her mother fell ill. The black-haired girl found herself unable to even look outside at the expansive garden and ornate sculptures years after without breaking down in tears, the wound from the loss opening a bit wider every time. Even when Marceline had taken her leave of the place right after graduating high school she’d avoided the gardens and left the estate through the back entrance.

As the limousine pulled up in front of the stairs that lead to the large, bright red double doors at the front of the manor Marceline felt a surge of emotion that bubbled up and mixed with her anger and outrage. At an early age she had developed a hate of this place, the innumerable bad memories outweighing the good. All the same, she wasn’t left with many choices at the moment. It meant staying here until she could figure out what to do about the situation with the others. As much as she hated doing so she swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed back all thoughts that didn’t involve Bonnibel and her friends. They were what was important. Bonnibel was what was important.

Hunson began to speak to the men in the suits, explaining that the driver would take them wherever they needed to go. Marceline lingered, waiting for one of them to say something. Neither did. They merely nodded in time with one another before Hunson and Marceline got out of the vehicle. The limo pulled off and started back down the drive to take the monsters wherever it was they were headed. Frustrated, Marceline went to the doors and threw one of them open, slipping inside. She heard her father calling after her, saying that he could show her to the room he had ready for her if she liked.

Marceline ignored Hunson’s offer to lead her to where she’d be staying. She knew every inch of the estate top to bottom, and if the man was under the impression that she’d be staying anywhere other than her old bedroom then he was sorely mistaken. Then again, knowing him, he’d probably had it converted into some sort of office or trophy room. Not because he needed to, as there were plenty of other rooms that could have been purposed for those reasons, but out of spite.

Once the grand staircase had been scaled three steps at a time Marceline made her way to her bedroom. She clenched her teeth as she grabbed onto the handle, prepared for the worst as she swung the door open. To her surprise everything was almost exactly as she’d left it. Familiar posters still adorned the dark red walls, advertising bands that she’d been fond of during her teenage years. All of the furniture, while spotless indicating that everything was still cleaned regularly in her absence, was in the same place as she’d left it. The differences in Marceline’s room were the pictures of herself and her mother that she’d taken when she’d moved out and the lack of the axe-shaped bass guitar she’d shelled out a small fortune to have made. Those were at her apartment.

The young woman slipped into her room and closed the door behind her, locking it for good measure. The last thing she wanted right then was for her father or anyone else to come bother her. All Marceline wanted to do was sit and clear her head. She perched on the edge of her bed, elbows on her knees and her face in her hands as she recounted everything that had happened since the phone call she’d received from Bonnibel about the outing with their friends.

“Fuck...” Marceline half-sobbed into her palms. She bit down on her lip, trying to hold it together so she could think. The image of that last watery smile from Bonnibel pushed her closer to the edge. Her hands slid into her hair and gripped the roots, the pain keeping her somewhat grounded. Damn that smile...It was as if the blonde knew it could be the end for her.

“Fuck!” the young woman exclaimed, tears now spilling from her eyes in a steady stream. All Marceline felt was regret and self-loathing at the fact that she’d stood by and done nothing more than shout at her father. She should have done something...anything…

“FUCK!”

The roar was punctuated by the sound of cracking and splintering wood as Marceline hurled her side table against the wall, shattering it. Now that the floodgates of her anger had been opened the only thing she could do was allow the waters to flow until she ran empty. Her next target was the solid oak dresser. She went to it and lifted it as easily as she would a small stone, throwing it at the same spot on the wall the side table had marked with a crack. The dresser was able to withstand the impact, the wall not so much. Her mind barely registered that the plaster had split open and exposed the supports and insulation beneath.

Marceline continued her fit, shouting out every obscenity she could think of at nobody in particular, and when they were directed at a subject it was always herself. She slammed a fist against the wall, her hand punching through it as if it were made of soggy paper. Another punch, another hole. By the third blow most of her energy had been expended. Her room was an absolute disaster area, resembling what one might imagine a bomb-gutted building to look like. All the same she wasn’t quite finished. There was more than enough rage bubbling in Marceline’s gut to keep her going until she brought the whole damn manor down. The only thing that stopped her was the sight of a familiar friend from her childhood that she believed lost long ago.

Through the latest in the series of openings in her wall, covered in chunks of plaster, lay Hambo. Marceline sank to her knees, ripping away the loose section of wall that led to the small hiding hole she’d stored things in during her stay in the manor. With a sniffle the woman pulled out the stuffed patchwork bear, dusting him off as best she could. Memories of her mother came flooding back, dampening the anger she felt as she held Hambo tight to her chest. Marceline leaned against the wall and tucked her knees as close as she could to her chest, clinging to her bear as if her life depended on it.

Once again she began to weep, recalling all of her happiest childhood memories with her mother, back when Hunson had been an actual father to her instead of the cold man he was now. Days spent in the garden, hushed lullabies sung after nightmares, and holidays spent together singing whatever festive songs were appropriate. For a moment Marceline’s mind wandered to the sight of her mother in the hospital bed after the accident that would claim her life and the last words she would speak.

“I’m so proud of you, Marcy. So, so proud...and I always will be. I’ll always love you, baby. You’re...my precious little girl...I love you.”

With those words ringing out in her mind exhaustion finally claimed Marceline.

The soft knock at the door woke Marceline up from the light sleep that she hadn’t realized she’d slipped into. Perhaps it had been the tantrum. Perhaps it had been the crying. No matter the cause, she was more than a little upset that someone felt the need to disturb her. She buried her head in her arms as she remained curled up on the floor and did her best to ignore whoever it was that was looking for her. The last thing she wanted was one of the staff, or worst of all her father, to see her right then. Especially not when her eyes were probably still puffy and red, indicative of the emotional outburst she’d had earlier. To top it all off, her room was absolutely destroyed, which would no doubt lead to a lecture she would tune out anyway.

Another knock at the door made Marceline growl. Still clutching Hambo with one hand, she stomped to the door with a long series of insults prepared for whatever unfortunate soul stood on the other side of the solid hunk of wood. As she threw the door open her anger was instantly abated when her eyes fell on the slight, aging man on the other side. He wore a smile on his face and his ice blue eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. Instead of telling him off, all Marceline could do was stand there and gape, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly at the man.

Simon Petrikov had been in the employ of the Abadeers for longer than Marceline had been alive. During his time working with the family he had grown exceptionally close to Marceline’s mother. He had even been present during Marceline’s birth and had been named her godfather. The Abadeers had offered him an official place in the family that he turned down, insisting that without work he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. As a result he kept his position as director of the housing staff, albeit with a rather substantial bump in pay at the insistence of Marceline’s mother. The aging man, whose hair and long beard had been stark white for as long as Marceline could remember, had been her closest friend during her childhood years. He seemed to be the only one she could rely on after her mother died, the only one who fully understood her loss and cared enough to try and help her.

The white-haired man adjusted his glasses and smiled. “Hello, Marcy. I just came to check on you and...Oh my,” the man paused, his eyes going behind Marceline to the destruction in her room. She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Simon cleared his throat and his concerned gaze fell on the young woman before him. “May I come in?”

“Um...sure...” Marceline breathed, her face growing warm as she stepped aside and let the man enter. He stepped carefully over hunks of demolished furniture and bits of broken glass that scattered the floor, walking over to the mostly untouched bed. He sat on the edge and patted the spot next to him, a caring smile on his face that was completely devoid of judgment. Marceline walked over and took a seat next to him, her hands still wrapped around Hambo.

“Ah, I see you found him,” Simon remarked with a chuckle, gesturing towards the stuffed bear. Marceline nodded, her eyes meeting the man’s as she furrowed her brow slightly.

“I don’t remember him being in my spot, though. I swear I checked there before I left just for good measure. I thought he’d disappeared years ago,” Marceline said softly.

“Well, perhaps a certain old man found where he’d been hidden away and felt that he’d appreciate being somewhere his best friend could easily find him were she ever to return home,” Simon said with a sly grin. The young woman beamed at him. “I, uh...didn’t think you’d tear down the wall, though...”

“Yeah, um...I sort of lost it a little. You know how I get sometimes when I’m all worked up,” Marceline said, her eyes going to the floor. She looked up as Simon placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her one of his signature fatherly half hugs.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, Marcy? I might be a bit senile,” the man paused, smirking a bit. “But I still have some good advice to give every now and again.”

After taking a shaky breath Marceline recounted everything that she and her friends had gone through, starting with the explosion and concluding with the events earlier that day. Simon sat, his eyebrows knitted and one hand thoughtfully stroking his beard as he listened. Every now and again the man would let out a gasp or make a one or two word comment. Once the young woman had finished her story silence fell over the room. Then it was Simon’s turn to sigh.

“That’s quite a tale. From the sound of it your adventure’s only just beginning, little girl,” he said with a small smile.

“More like it’s over before it started. The only one who really had any idea of what to do was Alexis and it’s not like she’s going to show up out of the blue again,” Marceline grumbled with a scowl. It faded away to a sorrowful expression as her reddish brown eyes met the man’s. “I asked him for help and he set us up, Simon. He let those monsters take them away.” The young woman barked out a cynical laugh and shook her head as she fought the tears that threatened to start up all over again. “I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone as much as I hate my father.”

“Come now, don’t say that...I know he’s done some questionable things in the past, but perhaps he was doing what any good father would and tried his best to look out for you,” Simon suggested.

Marceline took a breath to speak, horror and anger mingling on her face. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It pushed her back into anger. Before she could argue Simon raised an index finger to silence her. If anyone else had done the same that finger would have been broken off and shoved down their throat. For now Marceline bit her tongue, deciding to hear the man out.

“Sure, it wasn’t the best choice. It does present you with a rather unique opportunity given the industry Hunson’s company is a part of. Perhaps you give the position at NightSphere a chance. And, perhaps you go along with it for a few days, get a feel for everything,” Simon continued. He smirked at Marceline, the devious twinkle in his eye that he always had in her younger days when he was helping her come up with some way to piss off her father.

“Who’s to say you don’t change your mind and decide that a corporate job just isn’t for you? Your time there could be spent furthering other goals you have.” Marceline broke into a smile as she listened. This was one of the many reasons she’d grown so fond of Simon over the years. “If everything goes the way you’d like it, there’s a good chance that the staff schedules can be rearranged to where someone could take their leave in a covert fashion if they decided to do so.”

“Simon, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Marceline asked with a chuckle.

“I’m not saying anything, dear. Just speaking hypothetically,” Simon replied, holding his hands up as he grinned. Marceline pulled him into a hug and pressed a kiss to his whiskery cheek.

“I love you, Simon.”

“I love you too, Marcy. Now come along. Your dinner is waiting for you in the dining room. Burgers and fries. Your favorite, if I recall,” the man chuckled proudly.

“You know me so well,” Marceline remarked. The pair stood and headed towards the door.

“I’ll no doubt have to prepare another serving of fries for you, though...I have a feeling that Hunson may have made off with the ones I’d plated for you,” Simon absently remarked.

“That bastard,” Marceline laughed. Normally it would have bothered her to no end. At the moment she couldn’t have cared less. She had hope. There was a chance. Now all she needed was to convince her father that she had a legitimate interest in his company. Hopefully it didn’t take too long. The sooner she got to Bonnibel and the others, the better.

Dinner went as pleasantly as could be expected. Despite her overall anxiety with the situation regarding her friends Marceline found herself laughing as she and Simon shared their meal. It was obvious that the old man was doing what he could to cheer her up, and it didn’t go unappreciated. Once they’d finished their meal and conversation it was rather late in the evening. Marceline knew she would have to be up with the sun if she was going to catch Hunson before he left for the corporate office. She took her leave of Simon and headed back upstairs, pausing only momentarily to run her hand over a large portrait of her mother that hung at the top of the staircase. She wondered if her mother would be proud of her given the situation that she found herself in now.

After a shower and changing into a set of pajamas Marceline grabbed Hambo from her demolished bedroom and found her way to one of the manor’s many guest rooms. She fell onto the bed in a huff, tossing and turning as her stomach churned. Anxiety was rearing its ugly head at the prospect that she might fail in convincing Hunson that she’d taken a sudden interest in assuming her position at NightSphere. After what felt like hours of agonizing over it Marceline let determination take hold and pushed her worries aside. It would work. It had to. She had a responsibility to her friends and failure was not an option.

The next morning Marceline awoke without the assistance of an alarm. She hurried to her bedroom and picked through the rubble of her dresser, finding the only clothing she had ever owned during her stay in her family residence that could be considered formal. She figured that it might drive the point home with Hunson a little better if she were dressed for the part she was trying to play. Marceline dressed quickly, taking care that her straight black slacks and white shirt were as wrinkle free as possible (though there was a bit of plaster dust on the cuff of her pants). She brushed her hair and tied it back in a loose ponytail before she fumbled with tying the thin black tie she had and shrugging on the suit jacket.

Once the young woman was finished she looked herself up and down in the bathroom mirror. Sure, she looked good, but the whole ensemble had a stuffy feel to it. It was far from what she felt comfortable in. After a few minor adjustments to her hair and the tie (she’d never gotten the hang of tying the damn thing) she heaved a sigh.

“You’ve got this, Marcy. You’ve got this. Just remember, they’re depending on you. You can’t let him get under your skin. Just do this, and for the love of God...Do. Not. Fuck. Up,” Marceline thought. After a few more moments of talking herself up she slid into the only pair of black dress shoes she owned without heels and started down the hall towards Hunson’s office.

She stood outside for a long moment and stared at the intricately carved wood. After a few final moments of psyching herself up she reached out and knocked. She was greeted with a rough “come in”, unsure if it was indicative of her father being in a good or bad mood. Marceline pushed the door to Hunson’s study open and peered inside.

“Do you have time to talk?”

The man hummed in acknowledgment as he looked up from a stack of paperwork on his desk, dark eyes locked on Marceline over the tops of his thin-rimmed glasses. He set the paperwork aside and a small smile flickered across his lips as he leaned back in his chair, tenting his fingers. Marceline could see the curiosity in his eyes. She knew that her acting from here on out would be key. There was no doubt that Hunson would be skeptical of any claims she made of a sudden interest in the company. Her only hope was that she would be able to fool him and that the man would be so thrilled that he would be willing to overlook any suspicions he would have.

“I, uh...I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. Y’know, that my fr-” Marceline cut herself off. She cleared her throat and sauntered across the office to sit in the chair on the side of the desk opposite her father. As much as she hated herself for saying this, it was necessary, just another part of her script. “...that those people I was hanging around with...They were holding me back. I didn’t see it, but...” The words were like bile in her mouth. “You were right.”

“Oh?” came Hunson’s reply. He adjusted his glasses before leaning forward, hands now clasped in front of him on his desk. The slightest hint of a smirk found its way to his face. “What brought about this sudden change of heart, I wonder? Yesterday you were rather vocal about your feelings in regards to the whole situation.”

Marceline nodded, her eyes flitting to her own hands that were currently toying with the end of her tie. She’d prepared for this. She just had to make sure that she didn’t let anything the man said get under her skin. He’d try something to get a rise out of her. He always did. All she had to do was keep her temper reigned in.

“I guess being away from them gave me the space I needed to consider your offer without outside influence,” Marceline said, looking back up at her father. His calculating eyes narrowed a bit. She hated this game. No matter how many times she’d played it, she hated it. It wasn’t unlike chess. Every move had to be considered steps in advance to assure that victory was achieved, each phrase, every inflection having an impact on the overall position of the pieces. And Hunson was a master at the game…

“What a relief that would be. Surely you can understand my hesitance when it comes to believing that you’ve suddenly changed your opinion on the matter,” the man stated, reaching for the decanter of fine brandy he’d always kept there, even when Marceline was a child. The man grabbed his nearby glass and poured himself a drink. “I want nothing more than to believe you, but I’m worried that the negative impact those people had on you may have lingering effects.” Hunson swirled the brandy in the glass, his eyes on his daughter. He took a drink and let out the slightest of sighs.

Marceline bit back the urge to spit a nasty comment at her father. She lowered her eyes, unable to look at him if she were going to keep her cool. Perhaps he’d see it as shame? After a few moments she found herself able to speak, making sure to pretend as best she could that she honestly felt like she was in the wrong.

“I understand. I made a lot of bad decisions,” Marceline began. As she considered her next words she fought to suppress the urge to vomit. She looked up before she spoke, meeting her father’s hard gaze. “I want to try and make it right. I wanna make you proud...” She paused, clutching her hands together to stop them from shaking in fear as she positioned the final piece she had on the board. “...Dad...”

Hunson’s eyes widened slightly as a small smile flickered across his face.

“Check mate...” Marceline thought, suppressing the desire to jump out of seat and let out a victory cry. Hunson cleared his throat and polished off his brandy before checking his wristwatch.

“As you’re already dressed I see no harm in having you accompany me to the office. I hope that tomorrow you’ll be in the same mindset,” he said, standing. The man sounded absolutely giddy. Well, as giddy as Hunson Abadeer could sound. It came out more as mild amusement. That was really the best that Marceline could have hoped for. “I only hope that you don’t have another change of heart. This is a big day for you, Marceline.” He walked around his desk and clapped a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, an expression of pride on his face. It was the first time in years that had happened. “Today you dive headfirst into your birthright.”

When they stepped outside Hunson’s limousine was already pulled around and waiting for them. They piled in, Marceline choosing to sit across from her father. The man went on at length about how relieved he was that his daughter had finally come around to his side of things, how much she come to love being one of the heads of a multibillion dollar corporation, and how her life was going to change for the better. Marceline didn’t really listen to him. Sure, she maintained eye contact, even nodding at appropriate times or forcing small smiles here and there, but her mind was on saving her friends.

The limo came to a stop in front of NightSphere’s corporate entrance, where only those with offices on the top ten floors could enter. The building was everything one would imagine the headquarters for a technological superpower. Even craning her neck Marceline couldn’t see the top. The immense skyscraper had even been featured in numerous magazines as being not only the largest structure in the city of Reno, but the tallest building in the state. When he caught sight of Marceline squinting up trying to get a peek of the top Hunson remarked that soon he aimed to relocate the headquarters to an even larger building, earning NightSphere the title of the corporation with the largest headquarters in the country and maybe even the world.

The pair entered the building, automatic door sliding open with a hiss once Hunson swiped his key card. He commented that he’d have one made for Marceline though it would more than likely take a few days due to what he called laziness amongst the staff in charge of that. The man escorted his daughter through the lobby and to the elevator, numerous employees in formal wear greeting them, Hunson with timid respect that verged on ass kissing and Marceline with somewhat confused smiles. Surely at least some of them recognized her.

It wasn’t until they reached her father’s office floor (obviously at the very top of the building so he could assert his position over the rest of them) that one young man in a slightly ruffled suit approached, one arm full of folders and binders and the other hand holding a cup of coffee that he handed over to Hunson. The guy froze as his wide eyes landed on Marceline. After stammering out a series of apologies he took her drink order and hurried off. No doubt he was one of Hunson’s personal assistance. By relation that made him one of Marceline’s personal assistance.

A few hours observing her father in the office had her wondering what exactly the man did at work. Every task that he described was usually handled by delegating the work to someone else. Marceline assumed that had to be part of running your own company, but at the same time she felt it was a little lazy. Surely there was something her father needed to do if only to get him out of the office and allow her some time alone with his computer. Whatever that something was, it didn’t happen. The entire day was spent with Marceline reviewing spreadsheets on Hunson’s computer while he hovered over her, every now and again offering a bit of advice or prompting her to get on the intercom and have one of the employees handle something.

By the time they arrived back at the manor it was still rather early. The sun had only just begun to sink below the horizon and paint the sky in a myriad of reds and oranges. After a quick and silent dinner Marceline trudged upstairs to shower and get ready for bed. She and Simon shared a satisfied smirk around the corner as she entered the guest bedroom and prepared to lie down for the evening. While it was still earlier in the day than her normal sleep time she was eager to return to NightSphere the next morning, something she never imagined was possible. That night while she was in bed waiting for sleep to take her she couldn’t help but think about how crazy everything had turned. It brought her back to the conversation she had with Bonnibel on the front porch of the cabin. The last thing in Marceline’s mind before she finally drifted off was she blonde’s stunning smile and the thought that at this point she would do anything it took to see that smile again.

The next morning went the same as the previous one with the exception of Marceline’s ‘suit’ being washed and pressed, laid out gingerly for her by Simon, more than likely. Again she accompanied Hunson to the office and headed up to his floor. This time the jittery young man from the previous day had two coffees in his hands, arms still loaded with a collection of assorted paperwork. Marceline was rather impressed that he managed to hand off the drinks without dropping anything.

After a few hours Hunson announced that he had a meeting to attend on the other side of the city. Marceline felt her heart leap into her throat at the announcement. She did her best to contain her excitement as her father left her alone, saying that he’d be back around ‘closing time’ to check on her progress for the day. The young woman kept her eyes glued to the clock as the minutes ticked by, wanting to wait an appropriate amount of time before she started digging around in Hunson’s computer. After thirty painstaking minutes she half-pounced on the keyboard, clattering away as she started digging through file after file.

Marceline spent more time waiting than it took to find what she was looking for. It was almost too easy, as if everything had been set up for someone to find if they knew Hunson well enough to know where to dig. There were data logs in the system that showed the exact location where Hunson had gone to rendezvous with Lichman, a series of notes inserted here and there detailing what time initial contact had been made, the time the meeting was supposed to take place, and everything else. Reddish-brown eyes locked on the GPS coordinates as the young woman snatched a small scrap of paper and pen from the corner of the desk and scribbled the numbers down.

Having completed her task, Marceline went about half-assing the work in the office for the rest of the day, fielding phone calls and every now and again contacting one of her father’s many assistants when absolutely necessary. Hunson arrived a bit later than he’d said he would but Marceline could care less. All she wanted was to get back to the manor so she could share the news with Simon and go about finding the others.

The young woman felt like she was soaring. Her faint glimmer of hope had turned into a raging fire that nothing could extinguish. She’d made leaps and bounds in finding Bonnibel in the others and it had only taken two days of kissing Hunson’s ass. As suspicious as it was, she wore a somewhat smug grin through their second silent dinner in a row. While he served them Simon shot Marceline a covert and questioning expression, his back turned to Hunson. All the young woman did was grin even wider. The white-haired man smiled back at her and gave a subtle nod. Her father’s eyes fell on her more than once and narrowed, though if he honestly suspected anything he didn’t make mention of it.

Once they’d both retired for the night Marceline couldn’t get changed fast enough. She tossed of the stuffy business clothing and slid into a pair of ripped jeans and a gray tank top, sliding a red plaid button-up over it. Once she’d rolled the sleeves up she went to her door, Hambo under her arm. Adrenaline began to pump through her veins as she threw the door to the bedroom open. In her haste Marceline nearly knocked Simon to the ground. After a few muttered apologies he handed her a backpack packed with just enough room left in it for the stuffed bear.

“In case you find yourself in need of a snack during the night,” the man had explained with a wink. Marceline wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. Once more they said their goodbyes and Marceline sprinted off towards the garage.

Hunson’s garage was filled with almost every top of the line car known to man. Row after row of glistening automobiles sat, many of them untouched except by the staff that were in charge of washing and waxing them. Marceline would have spent hours in the garage trying to pick the most practical car of the bunch were it not for the wall of key rings that sat near the entrance from the manor, each key labeled. As much as she loved the image of Hunson’s horrified expression when he discovered one of his Lamborghinis had been stolen from under his nose Marceline decided to settle for one of his earlier purchases: an old Humvee that had been painted jet black and converted for civilian use, though it still sported its thick armor plating.

After snatching the key from the ring and finding the vehicle Marceline unlocked it and tossed her bag into the passenger seat. She had to adjust her own seat a bit, as well as the mirrors. She was already treading on dangerous ground here. There was no need for her to forgo safety anymore than absolutely necessary. Once she was buckled in she slid the key into the ignition and turned. The massive diesel engine roared to life, the vehicle shuddering from the sheer power under the hood. Marceline grinned from ear to ear as she produced the scrap of paper with the coordinates on it from her pocket and entered them into the Humvee’s GPS unit. Once the device calculated the route she headed off, making sure to open and close the garage door with the small remote that was clipped to the sun visor. As she drove around the side of the manor and headed towards the back road leading from the estate she tossed the remote through the window with a laugh. The entire scenario reminded Marceline of when she’d sneak out late at night in her teens, the liberating sensation of the cool night air kissing her cheeks and blowing her hair out behind her.

The drive was a short one considering the sheer size of the city. It took all of twenty minutes before Marceline arrived at what appeared to be a factory of some sort. After disengaging the engine Marceline stepped out of the Humvee. The large painted sign bolted to the roof of the structure indicated that it had once been a meat packing plant. It struck the raven-haired woman as odd that someone like Lichman would choose this, of all places, for a clandestine meeting. All the same, she was here now, and there was no way that Marceline was leaving without her friends.

The young woman tried the large slider doors in the front of the building. Predictably, they were locked. With as easy as it had been to find the coordinates and then the location itself she should have figured there would be a hitch in the plan at some point. All the same, she wasn’t deterred. After a few minutes of creeping around the building she found herself at the loading bay in the back. She tried the handle of the door and it opened with a soft click. Just as Marceline moved to take a step inside, a blast erupted and flames billowed towards her. She jumped back, the door swinging open to reveal a writhing mass of something as it burned away until nothing was left but a pile of greenish ooze and charred bone.

Marceline wrinkled her nose at the foul stench of whatever the hell had just burned up in front of her. She took a deep breath and held it, dashing into the main floor of the packing plant. Another ball of fire hit the wall behind her as she ran, the force of the impact throwing her to the ground. Despite her palms now being raw and bloodied from sliding across the cement floor Marceline supposed she was lucky in avoiding the flames, though it had been close enough to cause her to start sweating a bit. As she began to pick herself up a familiar voice shouted out at her.

“Stop right where you are! I promise you I won’t miss twice!”

Marceline froze after turning her head in the direction of the young woman that had given the order. Her eyes went wide as she spotted the woman, red hair billowing above her head in what looked like lapping flames and hands aglow with fire. Next to her stood a brunette with an assault rifle raised and aimed right at Marceline. Alexis lowered her weapon and tilted her head to the side for a moment before a grin spread across her lips.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” the brunette remarked, letting the weapon held around her shoulder by a strap fall to her hip.

“Oh shit...Marceline!” Phoebe exclaimed. There was a slight flare of light as the flames around the redhead dissipated. The pair approached just as Marceline picked herself up, laughing.

“Jesus! You two really know how to scare the hell out of someone!”

“Sorry about that. All we saw was the door open,” the redhead exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Marceline for a quick hug. She smelled strongly of smoke and ash and her clothing was a bit singed. It looked like she hadn’t been exaggerating her pyrokinesis after all. “We thought you might be another one of those things in the suits.”

“Aside from the fact that I’m not wearing a suit,” Marceline chuckled. Despite the brush with death she was in a fantastic mood. Alexis approached, giving her a nod.

“It is good to see you, Marceline,” the brunette said softly.

“You too, Alex,” Marceline replied. And it was good to see her, aside from the series of deep purple bruises on the right side of her face. Now that she looked closer Marceline realized that Phoebe wore similar bruises and that both women also sported a series of small cuts. “Are you two okay?”

“Yeah, nothing we couldn’t handle. As it turns out the key to me getting the hang of this whole fire thing involved getting royally pissed off,” Phoebe laughed, snapping her fingers and causing a quick flame to appear before it flitted up and dissipated. Marceline began to look around, searching for the others. All she saw were masses of smoldering biomass and black splotches on the floor and walls. The rest of the group didn’t seem to be there. It seemed unlikely, but she wanted to believe that they’d chosen to hang back in a safe location while Phoebe and Alexis handled business on the scorch-riddled factory floor.

“So, where’s everyone at?” Marceline asked. Alexis and Phoebe looked to one another, smiles fading and expressions darkening. That wasn’t a good sign. Marceline felt panic start to well up inside of her. She looked from the redhead to the brunette and barked out an airy laugh. “C’mon, guys...Tell me. Where are they? Where’s Bonnie?”

Alexis cleared her throat, eyes on the ground as she spoke.

“We honestly do not know...”


	8. Sanctuary

"After they led us out they shuffled us into a van. We rode along for maybe an hour before they stopped and split us up," Phoebe explained, flicking beads of fire to the concrete beneath the steps where she and Alexis sat, Marceline pacing back and forth in front of them while she listened. The redhead scoffed as she continued. "I guess they learned their lesson after what happened last time. From what we saw they hauled Raine and Finn off together, Jake and Leslie, and Bonnie..." She paused again to give Marceline a sympathetic expression. "They took her on her own."

"Where would they take her?" Marceline asked as she jammed her eyes shut to keep her stinging tears locked in, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was doing everything she could to keep calm in the face of her hope of finding Bonnibel being dashed. Nothing was going how she had planned and it was driving her absolutely insane at this point. To top it off Alexis and Phoebe looked like they had been put through the wringer, showing obvious signs of being knocked around. Who knew how bad off the others were.

"We do not know," Alexis replied. Marceline turned on her, glaring through the watery distortion in her vision.

"Is there anything you do know!?" she snapped. Phoebe let out a hum of agreement. Alexis's face remained expressionless but her blue eyes betrayed the hurt that the sudden outburst caused. Marceline let out an anguished sigh before running a hand through her hair. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking it out on you, Alexis. This isn't your fault. I don't think anyone thought they'd split us up like this. If anyone's to blame then it's me. I shouldn't have trusted Hunson."

Another hum from Phoebe earned the redhead glares from both of her companions. Alexis stood and stepped forward to place a comforting hand on Marceline's shoulder before she spoke. "It is not your fault. The only one that any of us should be laying blame on is Lichman." Her sapphire eyes went to Phoebe. "And it is counterproductive for us to attempt to place blame where it is not warranted." Alexis looked back up to Marceline and lowered her hand. "We should focus on finding the others. I am sure we can do it if we work together."

"Where do we even start?" Phoebe asked with a shake of her head as she hopped to her feet.

"If I had access to a computer with adequate processing power then I could analyze footage from street cameras and satellite imaging to triangulate where they are being held," Alexis explained flatly.

"What, now you're some sort of computer whiz?" the redhead scoffed.

"Phoebe, give it a rest. Has Alex given us any reason to think that we shouldn't believe her?" Marceline asked, pausing only for a moment. As Phoebe took a breath to speak she was cut off. "And I swear if you try and say that she had anything to so with dragging us into this I will throttle you."

"Bring it, bitch," Phoebe snapped, eyes narrowing as she sneered, her hands engulfed in flames. Marceline reached out and slammed a fist against the concrete wall of the meat packing plant, causing a good portion of it to crumble and fall away, leaving a small crater in its wake...and she'd barely tried. The redhead was speechless, the flames around her hands going out with a slight fizzle as Alexis flashed a barely noticeable smirk.

"You're not the only one with a few neat tricks up their sleeve. You're looking for someone to blame, someone you can project your anger onto. Stop trying to make it Alexis. She's done nothing but stick her neck out for us." Marceline cleared her throat and shifted from one foot to the other. "Besides, you two seemed to be getting along just fine earlier."

With a huff Phoebe sat back down and conceded. "Yeah. You're probably right." Emerald eyes flitted to the brunette for a moment. "Sorry, Alexis..."

"It is fine, Phoebe. I assure you that no offense has been taken. Now...we should come up with some sort of plan. Is there anywhere that would have access to the technology I require?" Alexis asked, eyes going from the redhead to Marceline. After a moment she added "That it not associated with Mr. Abadeer..."

Marceline felt a pang of guilt. She tried to block it out and think. An idea hit her.

"I might know somewhere. A friend of mine by the name of Keila is really big into tech stuff. I always used to rib her about it since she worked at a music store and she dresses and acts all 'punk rock' when she's really a closet nerd. I didn't see how something like that would ever have any use, but...I think she might have exactly what we need. She might even be able to give us some gear to help us out," Marceline said with a small smile, the flicker of hope within her slightly rekindled.

"We might as well try. It's not like we're going to make any progress hanging around here," Phoebe said with a sigh. She wrinkled her nose and frowned. "The smell of those oozy suit things that I fried is starting to get to me anyway."

With that the group went to the waiting Humvee and piled in, Alexis taking a seat in the back while Phoebe rode shotgun. They drove to the nearest phone booth which was only a few blocks away and Marceline stepped out to make the call. It was a good thing that she and Keila had been in contact for long enough that she remembered her number, otherwise the trio's work would have been harder than it was already going to be. After she dialed Marceline listened to the phone ring a few times before the young woman she sought answered.

"Um...Hello?"

"Keila? It's Marceline," she breathed, relieved that the young woman hadn't ignored the call since it was being made from an unknown number.

"Dude, what the hell? Why are you calling me from a booth?" Keila asked with a chuckle.

"It's a long story. Look, I need your help. Is it cool if I swing by with a couple of friends?"

"Um...sure...Does this have anything to do with that whack job Lichman flashing your face on television a few days ago and pretty much putting a bounty on your head?"

"Yeah. It's, uh...kind of a long story," Marceline explained with a sigh. "I'll tell you all about it when we get there, okay?"

"You better. I want every juicy detail for when I write my memoirs. This is perfect for my 'secret life' section," Keila said. Marceline could pretty much hear the young woman's grin.

"Whatever you say, dude," the onyx-haired woman laughed. They said their goodbyes and Marceline climbed back into the Humvee, setting off towards her friend's residence.

Keila Marquez was a bubbly and likable young woman who shared a number of interests with Marceline, the biggest one being their love for music. They met nearly five years prior when Marceline started her job at the music shop. The pair became fast friends, especially when Keila found out that the other woman played bass guitar. She'd been looking for a bassist in the hopes that they would be able to put together a band. Marceline ended up doing a lot of the legwork when it came to finding a drummer and a keyboard player. This ended up with her earning a spot as the group's vocalist as well as being the bassist. Well, that and the fact that when it came to carrying a tune she had the best voice out of all of them.

Her relationship with Keila grew tighter as time went on and soon the two were getting together outside of work and band practice. It was around the same time that Marceline found out about the young Hispanic woman's secret love for tinkering with electronics of all kinds. She was good at it, too. If it weren't for the fact that Marceline's relationship with her father was what it was she would have recommended that he hire Keila. But the curly-haired brunette had insisted on numerous occasions that she was content with where she was in life, making bootleg tech out of her home that she usually sold to some of the seedier figures in the city.

Marceline pulled the Humvee into a small parking lot behind a brick apartment building, coming to a stop in a numbered spot rather close to a set of stairs leading down to the basement level. Before she could disengage the engine Alexis leaned over the center console and fidgeted with the panel on the dashboard, plugging a USB cable in that she produced from her sleeve. Phoebe and Marceline watched Alexis for a moment, both of them wondering what in the hell the woman was doing. There was a distinctive orange shimmer in the brunette's left eye that made the other two members of the small group exchange confused glances. Without a word Alexis removed the USB cable and filed out of the vehicle.

"What the hell?" Phoebe asked as the door closed, eyebrows furrowed and eyes wide.

"No idea, dude. We can ask her later," Marceline remarked with a shrug. She disengaged the engine and both of them climbed out of the Humvee.

Being the one leading the way at this point, Marceline walked in front of the two women and guided them down the short set of stairs, stopping in front of a thick metal door. With a huff she raised a hand and knocked, her knuckles rapping loudly against the metal with hollow thuds. After a few moments some movement could be heard on the other side.

"Yeah?" Keila asked, her voice coming through a small intercom speaker that was mounted to the left of the door. Marceline pressed one of the buttons before she spoke.

"It's just us. Mind opening up? You're neighborhood's creepy, dude."

After a number of clacks and clangs the door swung open to reveal a young woman with copper skin and large brown eyes, puffy black hair tied back in a low ponytail. She wore a long-sleeved gray and red striped shirt, black pants, and a pair of white boots to top it all off, something Marceline recognized as the woman's favorite outfit. And it suited her. Keila was grinning from ear to ear as she wrapped her arms around Marceline's neck and pulled her into a hug.

"It's not that creepy, ya big baby."

"Keila, we've proven time and time again that our definitions of creepy differ," Marceline laughed, arms going around the shorter woman's back to hug her close. They separated and Keila stepped aside to allow the trio to enter before closing the door behind them, securing a series of four deadbolts and a door bar before turning to face them.

"Welcome to my humble abode. You'll have to excuse me for a moment. I'm, uh...handling a client," she said, an almost nervous look on her face as her eyes darted all around.

"A client? This late? Dude, it's gotta be pushing midnight," Marceline remarked. A devilish grin found its way to her lips. "Are we talking about a quote-unquote client?" She raised her hands and curled her fingers in air quotes with a snicker.

"No, and you know how that irks me, dude. Makes me sound like a hooker or something," Keila grumbled with a scowl. She heaved a sigh and continued. "I mean that someone showed up right before you guys did and that he's probably somebody that you really don't want to see if you catch my drift?" Marceline's face went blank. There was no way Keila was talking about him. "Y'know, a particular brand of asshole that you swore you'd beat the shit out of if you ever saw again?"

An exasperated sigh followed by a pale-skinned man with a white mohawk popping his head into the hallway confirmed Marceline's suspicion.

"Keila, what the hell's taking so long? I'm a busy guy, and-Oh..." he began, cutting himself off as his eyes fell on Marceline. He put on what she assumed was supposed to be a suave smile, his tone of voice smoothing out some as he spoke. "Hey there, Mar-Mar. Fancy seeing you here."

"Ash..." Marceline growled with a roll of her eyes. She shot a glare at Keila who mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' before leading them into what would normally have been a living room. The young woman had converted it into a large and rather cluttered workshop, all manner of electronics and components covering nearly every surface.

"You didn't tell me she was gonna be here," Ash said with a chuckle, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk. His eyes flitted to Phoebe and Alexis before landing once more on Marceline. "Or that she was bringing friends..."

"You didn't tell me you were gonna be here. What were you trying to buy, Ash?" Keila asked curtly. She saw the signs of a powder keg igniting a mile away. The man's eyes lingered on Marceline for a moment longer before going to the young Hispanic woman he was trying to do business with.

"I need a SIN masker. I've got a crate of rifles I need to get across the bridge and I'm not looking to have my vehicle searched because of my record," Ash explained.

"You're running guns now?" Marceline scoffed. She shook her head and crossed her own arms. "Typical."

"Yeah, because you're doing so much better for yourself," Ash retorted. "I saw your picture on TV, Mar-Mar. Looks like I rubbed off on you..." He paused, a smirk creeping across his lips. "If ya know what I mean..."

"Shut your fucking mouth and DON'T call me that," Marceline growled, dropping her arms with her fists clenched at her sides. Sometimes Ash could be so absolutely vile. It was one of the various reasons she'd cut the relationship off, though not the main one (which was a particular blonde girl that she was hoplessly in love with). Ash began to walk towards her, still grinning.

"Oh, looks like I hit a nerve. When did you get so sensitive, Mar-"

He was cut off in both movement and speech as Alexis stepped in front of him, a glare on her face. The brunette tilted her head to the side and looked Ash up and down. He mimicked her actions. After a few moments Alexis spoke, her voice calm and level.

"She said not to call her that. I suggest you listen."

Ash seemed a bit taken aback, obviously not expecting someone like Alexis to come across as so cold and commanding. He scoffed before replying. "Yeah, whatever..." he grumbled, eyes going to Marceline again. "You can call of your guard dog, Mar...uh...Marceline."

"It's cool, Alex. Don't even waste your time on him," Marceline said with a grin. It amused her to no end that Ash was made that uncomfortable by the woman. Sure, nine times out of ten he was a chauvinistic asshole, but the guy knew when to pick his battles most of the time. If there was one thing Marceline had learned about Alexis it was that she was probably not someone you would want to deal with when she got good and mad.

After Alexis backed off Ash turned back to Keila and they continued with their business deal. Before the man could leave he was stopped by the brunette, who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You mentioned that you deal in firearms, yes?"

"I sell guns if that's what you mean," Ash said with a slightly dopey frown. Marceline cringed. How in the hell had she ever dated that loser? He was so, SO dumb...

"I am interested in doing business with you. We need a number of weapons and ammunition. At least ten rifles, fully automatic, and twenty thousand armor piercing rounds," Alexis explained. Everyone else in the room, Ash included, seemed shocked by the order. He scratched at the back of his head.

"Damn, are you planning on taking on an army or something?"

"The reason why I need them is none of your concern. I have the funds to pay for what I need. Can you get it?" Alexis asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Uh, yeah," Ash said lamely. He cleared his throat and smirked. "It's gonna be a quarter of a mil, straight into an account of my choosing. I can have the stuff in twenty-four hours. Deal?"

He held his hand out for Alexis to shake. She gripped his hand and the two shook, confirming their transaction. Marceline saw Ash's forearm flex a bit as he no doubt squeezed unnecessarily hard on the brunette's hand. It was a childish power play that obviously didn't work out in his favor. Alexis grinned about the same time as the man winced just a bit.

They dropped each others' hands and Keila led Ash to the door. Once he'd taken his leave and the door was locked again the curly-haired woman popped back into her living room with a smile on her face. She clutched her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet in an almost childlike manner as she raised an eyebrow at Marceline, no doubt waiting for introductions to be made.

"Oh! Uh...Keila, this is Phoebe-" She gestured to the redhead, who raised a hand and flashed a small grin. "-and Alexis." The brunette nodded as the sides of her mouth quirked up into a smile that was less awkward than usual. "Guys, this is my esteemed colleague at the music shop and friend of five years, Keila."

"Nice to meet you! If Marcy's said anything negative about me I assure you that it's nothing but lies," Keila laughed.

"I am unaware of any less than reputable statements made about you. From what Marceline has told us and what I can see of your home, you are technologically inclined. Even had anything ill been said I would personally be able to overlook it," Alexis said with a smirk. The dusky-skinned woman matched the brunette's smirk and pointed at her.

"I like you already, Alex," she chuckled. Clapping her hands together, Keila continued. "So! What brings you folks here?"

"Alexis needs to use your computer. I remembered you bragging about it at work one day and she says she needs a computer with, uh...'adequate processing power'..." Marceline explained. Her coworker's face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning.

"Do I have a treat for you, then," Keila laughed, linking one of her arms with one of the brunette's and guiding her over to a desk with piles of what appeared to be junk all over it.

After clearing away some of the debris to reveal a keyboard Keila began to rattle of stats about the computer. Marceline didn't really follow any of it. She was alright when it came to using a computer, but if you asked her anything about hardware specs there was a good chance that she would simply laugh. By the time her coworker was finished Alexis had already taken a seat.

"So how's that for adequate processing power, huh?" Keila asked as she beamed with pride, hands on her hips.

"This is more than adequate, thank you," Alexis responded. She looked around the desk for a moment before turning her eyes to Keila once more. "I will need to plug into the machine."

After a bit more reorganization of the desk the brunette gave a nod to signal that she was ready. All three women watched with overwhelming curiosity as Alexis inserted the same USB plug she'd used in the Humvee into the computer, a length of the black cord trailing from her right sleeve as she leaned back in the computer chair and closed her eyes. The computer's monitor cut to black, the only sign of any activity a phosphorescent orange cursor in the upper left corner that blinked at a steadily. After a few seconds strings of numbers, letters, and various symbols began to flicker across the screen in quickly compiling lines of code.

"Oh, man..." Keila breathed. She turned to Marceline as she gnawed on her bottom lip. "This is the coolest...thing...EVER..."

Keila seemed like she was on some sort of sugar or caffeine high as she bounced in place watching her computer screen. Marceline had never seen this side of her friend and, frankly, found it to be rather amusing. It more than lifted her mood after the tiny confrontation with Ash. Minutes passed before another window popped up, the border the same glowing orange as the characters on the background that continued to stream.

In the window a number of scans could be seen running simultaneously, the exact date and time of the group's meeting with Hunson displayed in brackets. A series of camera feeds began to appear, some of them overlapping with other windows that showed a grid-like series of maps from an orbital perspective. It didn't take long for a more detailed map of the city to appear. On it was a bright green dot.

"Wait, what's that?" Phoebe asked, pointing at the green indicator on the screen.

Alex responded, her voice coming through the speakers, slightly distorted as if another voice (Marceline couldn't quite make it out but she felt like she should know who it belonged to) was overlapping with it. "Lorraine and Finn's location. It's an old bank, abandoned long ago when the world switched from physical to digital currency. It's been kept up and allowed to stand as a historical landmark, though nobody's been allowed to enter for almost ten years due to restoration or something along those lines. The bank was one of many properties owned by Lichman at one time or another that he may still have access to."

"Um...Wow...This is surreal," Keila chuckled with a smile of childlike wonder on her face.

Mere seconds ticked by before another green indicator glowed on the city map, this one roughly twenty miles from the first in the direction opposite their present location.

"Leslie and Jake will be at this location. I believe that it's some sort of underground station?" Alexis said through the computer's speakers, her voice still overlapping with the vaguely familiar second voice. "Records show that it's an old subway platform that was retired after a series of the connecting tunnels beneath the states of Nevada and California caved in."

Maps bearing the logo of the City Municipal Offices began to appear in other windows. One of them was enlarged, an area indicative of the subway's entrance highlighted in red.

"The main entrance to the platform was sealed, though public record show that there's a maintenance entrance less than half a mile away that can be used to access the platform."

As if to illustrate Alexis's point the secondary entrance was highlighted in bright blue and showed the path from a nearby building's basement to the subway tunnel.

"Okay, what about Bonnie?" Marceline asked, leaning forward on the desk and narrowing her eyes at the screen.

"I'm experiencing some difficulties locating her. It seems as though the vehicle carrying her took a series of back roads and tunneled highways where camera coverage is limited," Alexis explained. Her fingers curled over the arms of the chair as her head twitched to the side, a slight frown on her face.

"You've obviously accessed a few of the global satellites...Can't you get into the ones that the government uses to track SIN chips?" Keila asked, head tilted to the side as she focused on the computer monitor. She was doing a much better job than Marceline was of keeping track of the various windows flashing on the screen, some of them with videos, others with still images from street cameras, and others switching between odd maps and strings of computer functions.

"I can and I have. It seems that none of the SIN chips belonging to people who were in close proximity to the explosion in the shopping district are functioning properly anymore," Alexis remarked, her tone of voice obviously not the happiest. A map grid of Reno popped up, a square targeting reticle scrolling over the sections of the map in erratic directions.

"I can't pinpoint anyone's exact location via SIN chip scan. I know that there's nothing wrong with the system, which leaves me to believe that there's an issue with the chips themselves. Observe." The reticle stopped and the map's image began to enhance a number of times before locking on to a blinking dot. A block of text appeared displaying the name 'Marquez, Keila' followed by a physical description and her criminal record (which was unsurprisingly empty as she was good at keeping a low profile). The GPS coordinates of her location were shown as well, further proving the point that the SIN scan wasn't the issue.

"Fuck..." Marceline growled with a shake of her head. "In other words, you're telling me that it's gonna be impossible to find Bonnie."

"That's not what I'm saying at all, Marceline."

The onyx-haired young woman stood up straight, incredulity spelled out in her glare as she looked down at Alexis. The woman had never snapped at anyone before. In fact, Marceline was under the impression that the brunette was incapable of getting worked up to the point that she would lash out verbally. All the same, she'd replied curtly and aggressively. It was obvious even with the distortion experienced when her voice came through the set of speakers hooked up to Keila's desktop. Even Phoebe had picked up on it, her emerald eyes wide as she raised an eyebrow and shot a glance in Marceline's direction.

"I'm sorry. Just give me some time, okay? I'll find her. Try and find something to occupy yourselves with in the meantime...I'll let you know when I've finished," Alexis said, her tone softening some.

"Okay. Sorry. I'm not trying to rush you or anything. I know you've got this handled. I just..." Marceline took a breath before the continued. "I don't like the idea of Bonnie on her own like this."

"I understand. I promise you that I'll find her."

With those reassuring words Marceline, Phoebe, and Keila trudged into one of the only open areas in the living room and sat down, the redhead on a recliner and the other two women on the love seat. Keila began to poke and prod, looking for the details that she'd been promised when she was first contacted. For what felt like the thousandth time (though it was only the second) Marceline began to recount the harrowing events from start to finish. Before she'd concluded Phoebe drifted off to sleep in the cushy chair she was seated in. Keila, who had hung on every word, seemed to be at a loss.

"So...Yeah. That's everything. That's why we're here," Marceline sighed.

"That's pretty insane," Keila said with a nod, staring off at nothing in particular. "So now you're trying to find the rest of your group so you guys can go be superheroes, huh?"

"When you say it like that it sounds kind of stupid, but...yeah."

"Nah, I think it's pretty cool. It's not every day that you find out you're friends with someone trying to save the world," Keila chuckled, gently nudging Marceline with her elbow. All she could do in response was heave another sigh.

"I just hope we're able to find everybody..."

"That won't be a problem," Alexis said, startling both women. They looked over just in time to see her standing, Keila's computer background back to normal. The brunette had a grin on her face as she approached, blue eyes glimmering. "I've figured out where she is."

As it turned out, Bonnibel had been spirited away to an abandoned military complex on the opposite side of the city. Based on distance alone this meant that it would be more practical for them to retrieve the others before going to her rescue. As much as she disliked it Marceline agreed that the decision had essentially been made for them. But that brought about the worry that Bonnibel would be moved before they got to her.

"From what I was able to see thanks to the UGG's extensive surveillance network, Lichman's got his Oozers crawling all over the place. I think it's safe to assume that he's holed up there as well," Alexis said confidently.

"Um...Oozers?" Keila asked, eyebrows knitted.

"Those things that wear suits and look like people but definitely aren't," Marceline clarified. With a nod and a soft 'oooh' Keila's expression changed to one of comprehension. Marceline turned to Alexis, her concern unwavering. "What if he decides to relocate?"

"If I had a signal amplifier then I'd be able to maintain a connection with any wireless networks wherever we are and would be able to monitor any movements on the outside of the compound. I think Keila can help us there," Alexis said with a smile directed at the young woman she'd mentioned. Keila's face lit up.

"Hey, whatever you need, dude. I'm sure I've got some other stuff around here that you guys can make use of as well. You're more than welcome to all of it!"

Marceline's stomach grumbled, causing her to frown. "I could definitely use some food..."

Their hostess hopped up from her seat and scrambled into the kitchen, readying a pot of water. She then guided Alexis to her actual workbench and laid out various instruments. Marceline only overheard some of what she said. Apparently Alexis was going to start making adjustments to the signal amplifier she'd mentioned before that Keila actually built a prototype of, as well as a few other things, the most important in Marceline's mind being a set of earpiece communicators. The brunette swore that by the time she was done with them that their signal would be able to connect over a number of miles, which even in that day and age was unheard of.

Keila finished cooking up some rather cheap noodles, which was apparently what she lived off of. Marceline made a joke about her pretending to be a college kid, but ate and thanked her for the meal nonetheless. Even Phoebe was appreciative, her displeasure at being shaken out of sleep completely abated at the promise of food. After they finished eating Keila whisked their dishes back into the kitchen. Phoebe was out like a light before the woman walked back into the room.

"So, guess you finally stopped waiting around for Ms. Science, huh? Went from one nerd to another?" Keila asked. She threw an arm around Marceline's shoulders as she sat back down, pressing their cheeks together with a sly smirk on her face.

"What are you talking about, dude?" Marceline asked, her brow furrowed. Keila turned a bit to look over her shoulder at Alexis, who was still seated at the workstation taking tools to one of the numerous gadgets there, her own food still untouched. The raven-haired young woman blushed furiously as she picked up on her friend's implication. "Wh-what?! No way! There's nothi-It's not like tha-UGH!" Marceline was becoming even more flustered at the fact that she was stammering like an idiot. She crossed her arms and pouted. "Unlike some people I can have friends without trying to screw them..."

"It's not my fault that I like getting naked with pretty people," Keila giggled, chewing on her bottom lip. Her expression went thoughtful. "Ooooh..." A smirk spread across her face as she waggled her eyebrows. "I guess that means she's single then?"

"Dear God, Keila. Keep it in your pants, woman!"

"Aw, come on! You've gotta admit that she's got this whole 'tall, dark, aloof, and sexy' vibe...And she's obviously some sort of tech super genius or something with how she can 'plug into the Matrix' or whatever," Keila said. She was regarding Alexis thoughtfully while the woman worked.

"Okay, sure. I suppose I can see the appeal. The thing is that she's a complete mystery, dude," Marceline said, looking over at the brunette as well.

Deft hands maneuvered tools, making modifications to a device small enough to be easily concealed in the palm of a hand. As Alexis tinkered her head moved side to side, the object that held her attention being rotated to all different angles in one hand while the other would pick up and set down different tools. It was fascinating to watch. All of the social awkwardness the woman exhibited appeared nonexistent. When she was working with tech Alexis seemed more comfortable than she had with anything else. She had to pause for a moment as a few strands of dark brown hair fell into her face. The young woman set the tool in her right hand down and tucked her hair behind her ear in a way that made Marceline's breath catch in her throat. It hauntingly resembled the way that a certain blonde performed the same action.

"If you ask me, that just makes her hotter," Keila said flatly. After a moment of feigning interest in her fingernails she spoke again, flashing the woman next to her a coy smile. "So, what can you tell me about Ms. Mystery?"

Marceline heaved a small sigh and raised an eyebrow. Keila really had no intention of letting this go. She figured she'd go ahead and humor her. "Well, first of all, she's saved my ass a couple of times now. Y'know, the whole prison break thing she pulled and then the car chase that followed," Marceline began. She gnawed on her lip for a moment before continuing, trying to think of how to best describe the brunette. "She's pretty badass. Mad fighting skills, crazy accurate with a gun, and I've never seen anybody recover from stuff as quick as she does." She let out a chuckle. "I haven't really seen anybody get shot before, though, so-"

"Wait, she got shot?" Keila asked, eyes alight with wonder as a hungry grin flickered across her lips. Marceline nodded, causing her friend and coworker to let out a hum as her eyes went back to Alexis and she licked her lips. "Scars are like...next-tier sexy..."

"Pretty sure you're wasting your time with that one," Phoebe remarked. The redhead had apparently been listening in on their conversation from her spot on the chair. Her green eyes went to Keila, whose eyebrows were knitted while she awaited elaboration. "The whole time we've been running around with her I've seen all of three emotions from her." The redhead let out a thoughtful sigh as she shrugged. "If you ask me, she's some kind of super lifelike robot or something."

"Robots don't bleed, Phoebe," Marceline said with a wry laugh. Again, the redhead shrugged.

"You never know. I mean, we've seen weirder things happen at this point, right? Besides, she literally hooked herself up to a computer. I'm honestly still wondering what secret toys she has that we don't know about that she's going to use to keep an eye on the satellite feed of that damn military base."

With a roll of her eyes Marceline turned her gaze back to the brunette who was now examining the small device she'd been working on in the light, a satisfied and proud smile on her face. Alexis looked over and met her gaze, her smile widening. Now that she looked – actually looked – Marceline realized that Keila had a point. The woman was rather attractive even with the fading bruises, freshly split lip, and the cut above her right eye. Her eyes, the way the corners of her mouth were quirked up in a smirk, it was like she'd seen it all a thousand times before.

"What's got you over there looking like you just won the lottery?" Keila asked as she hopped up and sauntered over to the woman. Alexis handed her the piece of equipment.

"I was able to make a few modifications to maximize the range and signal output of the unit. It should do exactly what I need it to now," the brunette explained. Keila turned it over in her hands, eyebrows knitted as she examined the alterations. She paused and her narrowed eyes flitted up for a moment, obviously impressed. "If time wasn't a factor I would show you how to make the proper modifications myself, however the data files I uploaded to your master computer provide enough detail that I believe you will be able to make alterations on your own with little difficulty, as you are already more than proficient with building devices like this to begin with."

"Geeze, you really are a robot, aren't you?" Keila asked with a laugh. Alexis frowned in confusion, her eyes going to Marceline and Phoebe before landing on the copper-skinned young woman standing in front of her.

"I assure you that I am not a robot. A robot is, by definiti-"

"Dude, it was a joke," Keila chuckled, interrupting the brunette. She shot a glance at Marceline before she continued. "The sense of humor on this one. You guys must feel like you're in a comedy club."

"It's a riot, let me tell you," Phoebe remarked with a roll of her eyes. Marceline glared at her for a moment before looking back to Alexis, who wore a slight frown, eyes on the floor as the slightest sign of a blush graced her cheeks.

After a bit more conversation the group (with the exception or Alexis) decided that it would be a good idea to get some sleep. Keila brought out a couple of blankets for Marceline, who would be sleeping on the couch, and Phoebe who was intermittently dozing in the recliner. Their hostess retreated into her bedroom and closed the door, leaving the trio on their own in the living room/workshop. Normally the light from the lamp Alexis was using at the workbench would have made it impossible for Marceline to sleep. As it turned out she had little difficulty in the endeavor, lulled off by the light clatter of tools and what she swore was soft humming coming from the brunette. While she wanted to ask, she found herself far too tired to stop her eyes from sliding shut.

Sometime the next day Marceline woke up to the sound of knocking at Keila's front door. She jumped awake as if she'd spent the night not bothering with sleep. Alexis was still at the workbench, though she'd apparently finished tinkering with the devices she'd picked out for the group long before, as she was in the process of taking a cellphone apart while Keila watched her closely. The two had apparently been conversing in hushed tones so they didn't wake the two women sleeping in the same room as them. Not that they needed to worry about that now.

With a grumble Keila went to the door. Marceline heard her ask who was there, but the reply was muffled. All she knew was that the voice was obviously male. A short while later Keila came back into the living room with Ash in tow. He had a large black plastic case in his arms that he was struggling with. Marceline wondered how he'd managed to pick it up to begin with, let alone carry the damn thing. Ash dropped the box with a huff just as Marceline, Alexis, and Phoebe convened near him in the center of the room.

"I've got your guns," he huffed, stabbing a finger at the box. No wonder he'd had such a hard time with it. It would probably take a group effort to get it out to the Humvee unless Marceline was able to harness her ridiculous strength again.

"Thanks, Ash. You actually pulled through," Marceline said with an impressed grin. She glanced at one of the many still-working digital clocks in Keila's workshop and was even more impressed. He said it would take him a full day. He'd only been gone for around twelve hours. "And you're ahead of schedule, too."

"If you really wanna thank me you can get on your knees and do it proper," Ash remarked with a chuckle and a smirk.

Marceline's expression turned to one of anger and she took a breath to start telling him off. Who the fuck did he think he was, talking to her like that? Before she could get a single word out Alexis stepped in front of her, standing between Marceline and Ash. The brunette's shoulders were squared and her back was straight. As she spoke it was with a calm yet stern tone that carried a dangerous and obviously protective edge.

"I suggest you watch your mouth, boy..." Alexis began, her head tilting slightly to the side. "You may find that your language is so unsavory that it has caused a few of your teeth to go missing."

"Is that a threat?" Ash asked with a laugh of disbelief. Was it a threat? Because it sounded like a threat to Marceline. And really, she couldn't say that she cared.

"I'm not in the habit of making threats. It was a promise."

"Who the hell do think you're talking to, huh!?" Ash asked incredulously. He let out a wry chuckle. "You must not want these guns all that bad if you're gonna speak to me like that." Marceline could hear the smug superiority in his voice. It pissed her off to no end. "Why don't you ask Marcy how well that bitchy shit flies wi-"

His words were cut of as he let out a yelp. Marceline stepped to the side to see Ash well on his way to his knees. He would have already been on the ground if it weren't for the uncomfortable and obviously painful hold that Alexis had on his wrist, keeping him from dropping too far for fear of inflicting even more pain on himself and possibly breaking bones. He began to whimper out pleas for release that the brunette didn't seemed to have any intention of listening to. Marceline had to admit that it was a satisfying sight.

"You'll give us the weapons we requested..." Alexis paused, a smirk flickering across her lips. "...one way or the other." Her tone went dark. "You can hand them over or I can pry them from your lifeless hands. The choice is yours. Decide quickly. My patience is running thin."

"Y-you wouldn't kill me...right?" Ash asked, his eyes going to his ex. "Marceline?"

"I've seen her in action. Trust me, she'll totally kill you, man," she replied with a casual shrug.

Ash looked up at Alexis, fear playing across his features. He gave the brunette a quick nod, at which point she released him. Marceline was impressed. It looked like her ex boyfriend had finally developed some common sense. Any illusions that Ash had grown a brain were thrown to the wayside as he pulled a handgun from the waist of his pants. Before he could properly aim it Alexis had already disarmed him, hooking her own arm around his and locking it in place as she pressed the muzzle of the gun under his chin. The three onlookers exchanged questioning glances, wondering if someone should step in. Marceline volunteered. After all, it would be a shame if Keila had a gory mess to clean up.

"Alex...Come on...He's really not worth it, okay?" she said in a tone that was meant to be placating. Neither Alexis nor Ash moved a muscle. Marceline took a slow step forward and reached out, placing her hand over the brunette's hand that clutched the gun. "He fucked up. We all make mistakes. Just...lemme take that, alright?"

To her relief, Alexis allowed her to take the weapon, though her hold on Ash remained firm. The brunette placed her now empty hand on his face and shoved him away as she finally let him go, causing him to trip and stumble, landing on the floor. The other three women let out a collective breath of relief. She then went to the large box that contained the weapons and ammunition she'd ordered and looked it over before glancing up at Ash and closing the lid.

"Keila, thank you very much for allowing us the use of your home, computer, and gear. Once this is settled I promise to personally teach you anything you wish to know about any further modifications to your creations. I feel as though now would be a good time to take our leave. We have a long day ahead of us," Alexis said, her voice as calm as if nothing had happened. She went to hoist the box up with Phoebe's help just as Ash scrambled to his feet, red in the face.

"Hey! You still need to pay for those!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at the box.

"I have...by sparing your life."

Alexis's statement made Ash go even more pale than he already was. Instead of trying to argue his point he merely swallowed hard and nodded. With that settled everyone said their goodbyes while Ash sulked in a corner, no doubt pissy about losing out on a paycheck and being completely and totally emasculated by a woman not only in front of other women, but his ex girlfriend.

Keila walked the trio to the door, giving Phoebe a quick handshake before turning to Alexis to give her a hug that lasted a few seconds longer than what could be considered platonic. A jolt of jealousy ran through Marceline. It came out of nowhere. Why did she even care if Keila took an interest in Alexis? It's not like she was emotionally invested in the brunette outside of a friendship setting...right? No. No way. Just like Marceline had told Keila, it wasn't like that. Besides, her heart was set on Bonnie. That adorable and dorky blonde was the only one for her.

"I'm gonna miss you, Marcy. Try and keep in touch, okay? I know you guys are going off to save the world and all, but don't forget about the little people," Keila chuckled, pulling Marceline in for a tight hug.

"I can't make any promises, dude, but I'll do my best. You take care. And don't let that cockbag Ash drag you down, alright?" Marceline said as she pulled away.

"Don't worry about it, dude. It's purely business with that asshole," Keila said with a smirk. "I know we're close and all, but I'm not keen on the idea of scraping leftovers from your plate, if you know what I mean."

With that the trio loaded their newly acquired gadgets and weapons into the Humvee. Marceline started the vehicle, waving one last goodbye to her coworker. As she pulled off there were tears in her eyes. It could very well be the last time she saw the young woman ever again. One thing about trying to save the world that got old fast was having to say goodbye like that. With a tight grip on the steering wheel Marceline pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road, dead set on finding the rest of their group and pulling their heroic mission off. None of her goodbyes were going to be final so long as she could help it.


	9. Progress

"Geeze...I can see why they stopped letting people come here," Phoebe remarked with a scoff, eyes scanning the outside of the large building. "This place looks like shit."

She wasn't wrong. The Historic First Bank of Reno was one of the oldest standing structures in the city and time had taken its toll. It was initially constructed as a tribute to the architects of ancient Greece, with an expansive hypostyle floor plan and decorated inside and out with tall Doric columns complete with intricate carvings on the exterior's cornice. Withstanding weather and the ravages of a rapidly changing city left the building a shadow of what it once was, large tracts of marble missing from a few of the columns, steps, and roof. And that was just on the outside. As far as the trio knew, nobody aside from Lichman's lackeys and their two friends had been inside for years, leaving the three women in the dark as far as what state of disrepair the interior was in.

"As do all structures that are forgotten with the passing of time," Alexis said flatly, glancing up at the building through her window as she prepared one of the rifles they had acquired from Ash. She made sure to load a few spare clips as well, sliding them into slats on the weapon's strap. Despite all of the ill that could be said of Ash, his products were quality. All of the guns and ammunition seemed military-grade, and things like that were not easy to come by. Marceline almost felt bad for not having paid him. Almost.

"So what's the plan? Are we just storming the front or are we aiming for subtly here?" Marceline asked. She looked from Phoebe, who shrugged, to Alexis.

"First, you should take one of these with you," the brunette stated. She held one of the other rifles out to Marceline, who shook her head.

"Nah, I feel like I'd just waste bullets. I've only held a gun once, and that was when we were breaking out of that science-y jail place, and Bonnie snagged it from me anyway," she explained. Alexis narrowed her eyes, one eyebrow quirking up.

"Dude, you know you're gonna wish you'd taken one," Phoebe half-laughed.

"I don't see you grabbing a gun," Marceline grumbled with a slight frown. Phoebe's attitude was starting to grate her nerves. The redhead raised both hands and wiggled her fingers.

"Pyrokinesis, remember? I don't need a gun."

After Marceline hummed enthusiastically Alexis continued, handing out the earpiece communicators and donning her own.

"There are numerous points of ingress. We will split up. Marceline, you will take the staff entrance in the back of the building-" Marceline nodded. "-Phoebe will take the side entrance near the ATM kiosk-" The redhead gave Alexis a thumbs up. "-and I will take the front. Marceline will enter first, as the staff lobby is separated from the teller counter and main floor of the bank by a wall. Once you have reached the door let us know. Then Phoebe will move in. My signal to enter will be your first volley of fireballs."

"We should converge as quickly as possible. If we take the Oozers by surprise then eliminating them should prove a simple endeavor. After they have been taken out then we can release Finn and Lorraine, who are more than likely being held in the strongroom behind the counter."

Phoebe smirked while she rubbed her hands together and Marceline nodded in the affirmative.

"Sounds good to me, but..." the redhead paused and pointed at her earpiece. "Are you sure this thing isn't gonna melt or something?"

"That's a pretty good question," Marceline added, eyebrows knitting as she looked at the brunette.

"Each headpiece was fitted with a specialized alloy similar to what was used on primitive space shuttles. The material can insulate and shield heat during entry into the atmosphere. I am more than confident that it can withstand the temperature of your abilities at their peak. I am not sure how or why Keila had it in her possession, but...it was fortunate," Alexis explained with a smirk.

"Huh. Neat," Phoebe remarked with a crooked grin.

After going over the plan again and making any last-minute preparations the trio filed out of the Humvee and split up. There was little worry that there would be outside interference, as the area of the city where the bank was located held nothing of interest aside from the bank itself, which saw no traffic since it was closed off from the public. Marceline made her away around the side of the building, moving as quickly and quietly as she could. It didn't take her long to reach the back door. She stood in front of the wooden barrier, eyes scanning the chipped paint while she waited to hear from the others.

"Eyes on the lobby. I see three Oozers. They appear to be searching for something," Alexis said over their secured channel.

"D'you think they saw us pull up?" Phoebe asked.

"No. If that was the case then they would have brought the fight to us.They are moving to secure the exits."

"Alright. Well, I think we should take that as a sign that Finn and Raine might have managed to break loose. We should keep an eye out for them after we get inside," Marceline said in a harsh whisper.

"Agreed," Alexis responded.

"Everyone in place?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes. Ready when you are," the brunette replied.

"Yup," said Marceline. She reached out and grabbed the door handle, taking a few breaths to steady herself. The whole situation almost felt like a scene from an espionage movie. After a moment she began to count down. "Alright. Going inside in three...two...one..."

Marceline ripped the handle off of the door. With it came a large chunk of the wood that it had been bolted to. She made her way inside of what appeared to be a staff lobby. Unsurprisingly, there was one of the suited men there. While obviously thrown off at the sight of an intruder there was only a moment's hesitation before it ran at Marceline, screeching as it went. The creature lunged at her, talon-like hands poised to slash. She was able to prevent any injury to herself by catching the Oozer's wrists but the force of its jump was enough to knock her over. Even with her superhuman strength Marceline was struggling with fending her attacker off.

"Shit, they're heading towards the back. Moving in," Phoebe announced. A series of blasts rang out from the direction of the bank's main lobby, followed up by a burst of automatic gunfire.

"Marceline, what's happening?" Alexis asked, her voice tense.

As much as she wished she could respond, Marceline was currently too preoccupied with keeping the monster she was wrestling from ending her life. One of its hands slipped from her grasp and wrapped around her shoulder. Its claws dug into her skin as the creature attempted to pull her closer and sink its teeth into her throat. She landed a punch with her free hand that threw the sunglasses from the Oozer's face revealing the hollow pits of its eyes. During the scuffle she was barely aware of both Phoebe and Alexis half-shouting at her over the radio for her to give them any sign that she was alright. Had she been able, she would have called for help.

Marceline stared into the swirling masses of green and black and found herself overwhelmed by pure terror, the rest of the world falling away. In those eyes she saw her loved ones mutilated and dead as green fire blazed around them. The city lay in ruins, the few buildings that stood outside of the massive craters crumbling away, riddled with scorched skeletons. She wanted to cry out, to scream for help, but the only sound that rose from her chest was an almost childlike whimper.

The pathetic sounds increased in volume as the creature's deformed and gnashing jaws inched closer and closer. It was so close that Marceline could smell its fetid breath, the odor worsening as a stream of frothy green saliva trickled from its mouth and landed near her face on the tile beneath her. Phoebe had been right. She wished she'd have taken one of the guns.

"HEY!"

The shout pulled the Oozer's attention. With eye contact broken, Marceline was able to snap out of the paralyzing trance she was in and throw the creature off of her. She scrambled to her feet in time to see Lorraine appear out of nowhere, as if she simply materialized into existence. The brunette held a pole in her hands, a faded flag hanging from it, that she thrust at the monster. The spear-like ornament on the tip of the flagpole hit its mark and penetrated the Oozer's head through the side. Lorraine pulled hard on the flagpole with a cry of exertion. As the improvised spear tore free there was a loud squelching pop. Dead, the creature hit the ground, limbs jerking slightly. Marceline took heavy breaths as she tried to steady herself.

"Is everything okay?" Phoebe asked, her question almost drowned out as another blast of fire landed in the lobby, gunfire ringing out to accompany it.

"Yeah...Yeah, I'm good," Marceline said a bit louder than she needed to. She flashed her savior a thankful smile. "Lorraine found me."

"That's a relief. You had us worried, Marcy," Alexis said, the clatter of her rifle reloading in the background. The woman's use of her nickname made her pause for a moment. It wasn't like Alexis to address people by anything other than their given names. Something was going on with her, but now wasn't the time to think about that. They still had to find Finn and then get to the others.

"How many more are there?" Marceline asked, walking to the door that was supposed to lead to the teller counters, Lorraine right behind her after discarding her improvised weapon.

"Uh..." Another discharge concussive blast. "Three. They're heading towards the back."

"They're moving for the safe," Alexis hurriedly said. Marceline opened the door just in time to hear a series of shots ring out, see the glass of one of the teller windows shatter, and watch an Oozer's head fall to pieces as it dropped like a ton of bricks. "Two left."

Phoebe and Alexis sprinted over and hurled the counter through the broken window, the redhead flashing a quick grin before going in the direction the dead Oozer had been heading. Alexis stopped and gave Lorraine a welcoming smile before nodding after the redhead. The trio took Phoebe's lead, sliding around the corner as the young woman hurled a fireball at the suit-clad monster that had slammed the massive circular door of the vault shut. With an enraged shout she hit the body again, pushing it away from the door in a blast of fire that Marceline caught the heat from. The redhead turned to look at the other women, her brow knitted in confusion.

"Did you see the last one on your way?"

"No. Didn't they all come down here?" Marceline asked, glancing at Alexis and Lorraine, both of whom shrugged.

"I thought they did, but this one was alone," Phoebe replied.

"Perhaps it entered the vault," Alexis suggested. She stepped forward and began to examine the door, her left eye glowing as a thin horizontal strip of orange light was projected onto the vault. It ran from top to bottom and then from left to right, molding to the contours of the door before focusing on the two combination dials and flickering out.

"What the hell…?" Lorraine breathed, cupping her mouth as she whispered to Marceline. The taller woman smirked.

"You've got some catching up to do," she remarked.

"Of course it's locked," Alexis grumbled.

"So, what, we look for a key or something?" Lorraine asked.

"I could always try and melt it," Phoebe said with a smirk, raising one flame-coated hand.

"It would be a waste of time. Even with an acetylene torch, melting a hole in the door wouldn't work. If you were somehow able to penetrate the steel reinforced concrete of the exterior there's still a large layer of copper underneath. It serves to spread and dissipate the heat. And this is a class three strongroom. Breaching it would take at least two hours with the proper safe cracking equipment, which we don't have access to," Alexis explained. She heaved a sigh before continuing. "We have no choice but to open the door using traditional means. This is a dual control combination lock, meaning that both dials must have their combinations entered simultaneously before it can be opened."

"How the fuck are we supposed to figure out the combination? I doubt that it's just lying around somewhere!" Phoebe exclaimed. She let out a growl and hurled a fireball at the far wall, causing Marceline and Lorraine to start. Alexis stood still, not at all bothered by the outburst, blue eyes locked on Phoebe.

"I didn't say that it was going to be difficult, Phoebe. After a scan I have both combinations. I'll give them to you. Just make sure that the handle is turned after they've both been entered. I'll keep a lookout for our little friend," Alexis explained. Marceline stepped forward and placed her hands on two of the spokes of the vault door's giant, cog-like handle while Lorraine and Phoebe took their places at the two dials.

Alexis rattled off a series of numbers and the two women began to turn the dials, entering the combination. There was a resounding clang as the bolts within the strongroom's door gave way. Marceline took that as her queue and turned the handle as hard as she could. It spun with a series of clacks and began to swing open. Once the door was fully opened Finn came into view behind a wrought iron gate, tied to a chair and looking none worse for the wear. There was a second chair next to him, obviously where Lorraine had been restrained.

"MAN, you ladies are a sight for sore eyes!" Finn exclaimed, wriggling around in his chair a bit.

"It's nice to see you too, Finn," Marceline chuckled.

Alexis shot him a smile before snapping her fingers to get Phoebe's attention and pointing to the lock of the wrought iron door. Without hesitating the redhead angled both of her hands towards it and shot out a solid stream of fire that began to heat the lock until it glowed yellow and started to melt. Once the molten iron had fallen away Marceline kicked the door in, not wanting to touch the heated metal with her bare hands. The three 'unarmed' women went to Finn and untied him while Alexis remained outside of the vault, head moving side to side as she kept watch for the missing Oozer. Finn gave Phoebe an odd expression when his eyes landed on her scorched sleeves but opted not to say anything. Knowing the woman's temper it was probably for the best.

After a hug-filled reunion (at least when it came to Finn, Marceline, and Lorraine) they made their way to the vault's entrance. Everyone froze as a large, wet glob of something fell from the ceiling and plopped onto the tile floor. In a rather uncharacteristic move, Alexis heaved an unenthusiastic sigh and swore under her breath as her eyes locked on the greenish splash on the floor. No sooner than the words escaped her lips did the missing enemy fall from the high ceiling above her in the small hallway just outside of the strongroom. The brunette was flattened against the ground, her rifle wedged between her chest and the floor as she struggled under the flailing mass of limbs that was the Oozer.

"Phoebe, do something!" Marceline shouted. The redhead was gaping at the pair of bodies on the floor as Alexis did her best to try and free her weapon.

"I...I can't...I'll hit Alex, too..."

Marceline's eyes went from Lorraine to Finn, both of whom paused for a moment before charging forward. After grabbing onto the monster it whipped an arm out and threw them both back, Lorraine falling through the open vault door and Finn slamming against it. In a fluid motion the Oozer brought its clawed hand down and ripped a series of gashes into Alexis's back, tearing through her rifle's strap as well as her shirt. As she screamed out in pain Marceline's vision went red. She lunged forward and threw a punch. Then another. And another. She'd completely lost herself in a fit of anger. By the time Marceline was finished she'd succeeded in taking down a good portion of the wall in the hallway, the Oozer that suffered her wrath being little more than a gory pile of flesh and blood. The young woman turned, shaking as she took heavy breaths, to see Alexis on her feet with one arm around Lorraine's shoulders as the shorter woman helped support her.

"Holy shit, Marcy..." Finn breathed, eyes wide. Everyone was looking at her with what appeared to be amazement and a hint of fear – everyone but Alexis. She was simply staring at the floor, a dark scowl on her face as one eye twitched slightly.

"I thought I had anger problems," Phoebe muttered.

"We need to go now. We have spent enough time here," Alexis said curtly. She pushed away from Lorraine and squared her shoulders before snatching her rifle from the ground. "The others are waiting for us. And Marceline..." The brunette paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. There was a sadness in the sapphire orbs that Marceline couldn't understand. It was something she had yet to see from Alexis. It was making her worry for the woman. "I'm sorry."

Without another word she continued her march back towards the staff lounge. Marceline followed, the rest of her friends behind her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the spot on the woman's back where those scratches lay concealed beneath a sheet of dark brown hair. As much as she wanted to speak with her she knew that it wasn't the time or the place. Hopefully whatever was bothering Alexis could wait until later to be handled, until after they saved the others. In the end Marceline would do her best to figure it out. She figured that the brunette was bottling something up and knew firsthand how detrimental that could be even in the best of circumstances. Maybe they'd developed enough of a repertoire that she'd feel comfortable opening up.

Once the group had piled into the Humvee (Alexis taking the wheel this time) Marceline and Phoebe began to go over everything that Finn and Lorraine had missed. They had a few questions for Alexis, but the woman remained silent, eyes fixed on the road as she drove towards their next destination. Instead of letting the awkward silences left in the wake of the unanswered questions hang in the air Marceline offered what answers she could, though none of them made sense even to her. The others seemed to catch on to Alexis's foul mood and just let her drive, chatting among themselves and going over a possible plan to get Jake and Leslie back.

Unfortunately, with the way the route to the pair was laid out they had no choice but to try and sneak in, getting as far as they could without drawing the attention of the Oozers until the last possible moment. Lorraine offered to take the lead given her new-found ability to completely blend in to the surroundings. Finn called it invisibility, but the Korean woman said it felt too silly for her tastes and that she had no illusions of it being some sort of superpower like her whimsical boyfriend and his almost childlike brother, so she chose to call it camouflage. Marceline sort of shrugged it off. Whatever worked, right?

They were able to park the Humvee behind the apartment building they would need to get into to access the subway's maintenance entrance. Alexis lead the way after handing Finn and Marceline rifles as well as grabbing more ammunition for herself. The group watched as the brunette smashed a small window and wriggled her arm inside, opening it up and sliding into the small opening. Finn offered to go instead since he would be able to squeeze in without the worry of cutting himself on any of the glass, demonstrating by kneeling and smacking one of the jagged pieces that remained in the window's frame with his palm. Despite proving that the glass wouldn't harm him Alexis immediately said no, her tone almost aggressive.

After she'd slipped inside she went around to the back door and opened it. Marceline was the first one inside, Finn the last. The blond man closed the door behind him for good measure, saying that it would be less obvious that someone had broken in in the event that someone happened to come back to that part of the building while they were in the subway tunnel. After a nod from Alexis, ascertaining that he'd made the right choice, the others followed the woman to the heavy iron door that stood between them and the maintenance entrance.

The subway tunnel was what you would expect it to be. Marceline had ridden on subway trains during visits to other cities where the systems were still up and running, such as New York. It wasn't an experience she had particular enjoyed. The cars were always packed with too many people and she had been assaulted by a sickening mix of various smells and deafening sounds. In an attempt to take her mind off of it all she'd popped in her ear buds, cranked up her music, and stared out of the window. Granted, once the train was moving everything inside of the tunnels became too blurred to see, but they always slowed down way before the platforms to assure they didn't overshoot them, and she'd caught glimpses of what was within.

This trip into the tunnels wasn't that different aside from the pile of rubble that lay near the maintenance entrance from a cave in. One by one the group hopped down from the raised section of concrete, ignoring the stairs. Despite the complete lack of light Marceline could still see, though as far as she knew nobody brought a flashlight. Perhaps it had something to do with whatever abilities she was manifesting. It made her wonder if anyone else was lucky enough to be able to see down here. The answer came in the form of Lorraine slamming into her while cursing under her breath, foot caught on one of the track's rails.

"We're going to break our necks before we ever find them," Phoebe grumbled, illuminating the pitch dark by raising one flaming hand like a torch.

"We won't even get to them if you don't put that out. If the Oozers see us coming then who knows what they'll do. For all we know they could be baiting us," Alexis hissed as she shot the redhead a venomous glare. Phoebe grudgingly extinguished her light and took to tossing marble-sized balls of fire to the ground to indicate where the rails were.

"Better?" she asked in a snarky tone.

"Much. Let's get moving," the brunette said in a hushed voice. She hefted her rifle and started down the tracks, not even waiting for Phoebe to lay down her miniature beacons.

Alexis's bursts of emotion was something Marceline was having difficulty comprehending. The woman had seemed almost mechanical when they first met, each word she spoke coming out almost monotonous, each expression on her face not quite natural. Now she was grimacing, smiling, frowning, and everything in between. And her tones changed too. She could speak casually, when she was impressed or happy her voice took on an almost melodic air, and when she was frustrated or angry you could hear the tension. Maybe it was just the situation getting to her. After all, they were under a remarkable amount of pressure. Saving the world didn't seem like something you could try to do and stay completely level.

After a few minutes of walking as quietly as they could, light footsteps echoing from the walls, the sounds of muffled protests floated from around the large bend in the tunnel. There was a soft orange glow, more than likely from artificial lighting. As the group crept closer Phoebe stopped throwing down her tiny markers. Not that they seemed to need them anymore, as nobody was shuffling around anymore like a child trying to find their way in the middle of the night. They all got as close as they could to the wall, peeking as best they could.

Marceline spotted five Oozers as well as Jake and Leslie, both of them restrained in the same way that Finn had been when they found him. The only difference was an incredibly peeved Leslie with a strip of tape covering her mouth as she continued to attempt to protest. Her wide eyes flitted in the direction of the group and her muffled cries became louder and more urgent. Marceline honestly just wished that the woman would shut up. The last thing they needed was to have their cover blown when they were so close to pulling off a near perfect surprise attack on the Oozers. After what happened at the bank she had no desire to find herself going toe to toe with the otherworldly monstrosities.

Without a word Lorraine handed her rifle to Alexis and flickered out of sight. The brunette swung the spare weapon over her shoulder. Silently they watched the Oozers, each of them ready to open fire (or in Phoebe's cast, hurl fire) on them if needed. Luckily it seemed as though the creatures were trying to do what they could to ignore Leslie's dampened attempts at speech. A smile flickered across Marceline's lips. Looks like humans weren't the only ones that Leslie annoyed to no end. She'd have to remember to get her hands on some tape if the need to shut the blonde up ever arose.

Jake gave a start, his head whipping around wildly as his ropes began to shift. Lorraine had managed to reach him undetected. She wasn't wasting any time, either. The Oozers remained oblivious to one of their prisoners being freed right beneath their noses, their backs turned to the pair as they monitored the subway platform itself and cast glances down the tunnel in the direction of the group, though none of them seemed aware of their presence. He kept his arms behind his back after the ropes had been pulled away, making sure that the group of creatures was paying him no mind. He slowly stood, shoulders back as he flashed a confident smirk.

"Hey, slime brains!" the stocky man shouted. All of the suited guards turned to look in his direction. He stretched one his arms, growing it nearly five times its normal size and balling his immense hand into a fist. As he swung he shouted out "Try this on for size!"

Three of the Oozers were swept aside as Jake attacked, slamming them into the wall and rendering them into a bloody smear. Before the other two could raise their weapons, Marceline, Alexis, and Finn began to open fire, Phoebe launching a pair of fireballs that barely missed their targets. Jake jumped out of the way and tackled Leslie to the floor in the process, the chair falling to pieces under their combined weight. It wasn't as much of a fight compared to what had transpired in the bank. In fact, it had gone much smoother, probably due in large part to the fact that there was nowhere in the tunnel for the monsters to take cover coupled with the effectiveness of a surprise attack.

With the monsters taken care of and the hail of bullets coming to a stop the reunion could begin. Leslie was on her feet before Jake, an incredulous glare on her face as she ripped the tape from her mouth and immediately began to complain.

"Like, what the lump, you guys!? Geeze, you could have hit me! And Jake," the plump blonde turned on the stocky man and jabbed a finger into his chest. "What was the deal with you knocking me down and junk!? Now my clothes are, like, even dirtier than they were before! You'd better believe that you're replacing them, buddy!"

"He's not replacing anything, Leslie," Lorraine said, appearing beside Jake with a less than thrilled look. "You should probably thank him. If he hadn't knocked you over then there's a good chance that you would have ended up taking a bullet. And-" The short Korean woman grabbed Leslie's wrist and shoved her hand away from Jake's chest. "-keep your hands to yourself, hm?"

After the short exchange the group hurried back down the tunnel, pretty much sprinting now that Phoebe was free to light the way. They all climbed into the Humvee and once more started down the road towards their final destination. Once they got Bonnibel back it was agreed that their best bet was to retreat once more to the cabin to plan out what they were going to do about Lichman...unless he was actually there with Bonnibel. As much as she disliked the idea of the maniac being anywhere near the blonde, Marceline was more than eager to dole out some justice in the form of pummeling the psychopath.

This drive went pretty much the same as the last one. The friends caught up, each of them telling their stories of what happened during the separation while Alexis, tight-lipped as ever, drove. Jake explained that he'd almost managed to slip away, stretching himself so thin that he was able to wriggle out of the ropes. But the Oozers had recaptured him almost instantly, roughing him up some before they restrained him. He felt it meant that he was getting more control over his powers and used the example of enlarging his arm and 'laying the smack-down' on the creatures in the tunnel. Leslie said she was pretty sure she was telepathic or something and added a bit of credence to her claim by mentioning that Marceline didn't need to be rude thinking about how she wished Leslie would just shut up and that she should start carrying tape with her. That was met with a few stifled chuckles from the others in the vehicle. Even Alexis had smirked.

After a couple of hours the group arrived at the outskirts of the town near where the military base was. The trip normally wouldn't have taken as long, but Alexis had obviously taken a number of back roads to reach the place, sticking to side streets and fairways that had light camera coverage. As of now there really was no plan of action. The complex was large. The only indicator of where they should start their search for Bonnibel was the amount of activity at one of the largest buildings. Oddly enough, the people there, probably more Oozers, were actually packing into various vehicles and leaving, heading out using a number of routes. It seemed more than a little odd.

One thing they all agreed on was that Leslie should stay with the Humvee. She was given a communicator and, after rifles and ammunition were handed out, the other six members of the group split up into pairs. They decided that their best bet for now was to monitor the happenings at the building from a distance until a prime opportunity to sneak in presented itself. With how much opposition was present it wouldn't benefit anyone or anything if they ran in half-cocked. Marceline grudgingly agreed despite every ounce of her wanting to run in. She was so close to seeing Bonnie again, and being this close but not able to do anything about it was eating her up inside.

Finn and Jake paired off and headed towards the northern vantage point, a cluster of tall buildings that looked like they could have been apartment-style barracks at one point. Of course Finn had initially voiced a desire to go with Phoebe, but Lorraine stepped in and shot that down in a heartbeat. She offered to go with Phoebe to keep distractions limited, saying that if she were to go with Jake then they'd no doubt end up sucking face. Marceline knew it was a lie. The two had much more self control than that. Well...Lorraine did.

That just left Marceline and Alexis. The brunette said that it would make sense for each pair to take a different cardinal direction. With Finn and Jake heading north and the Humvee positioned to the west, it was agreed that Phoebe and Lorraine would post up to the south and the last two women would take the east. They gave their target a wide berth as they hiked. After climbing up a rickety metal ladder they perched on a rooftop. Everyone radioed to the others, letting them know that everything was good. They would continue to give updates every half hour. If anything changed below, whoever noticed would put the word out, and if anyone was discovered then the others would hurry to reach them in the event that some sort of alarm was set off.

With a loose plan in place they assumed radio silence, switching their earpieces off until the time came for the next report in or what have you. Alexis produced a pair of binoculars and handed them to Marceline. The raven-haired woman nodded in thanks before raising them to her eyes and scanning the area below. Truth be told, her focus wasn't on the movements of the Oozers below. Part of her wrestled with the twisting in her stomach brought on by being this close to saving Bonnibel. The other part was in the process of working up the nerve to talk to Alexis. After a good fifteen minutes of pretending to keep a lookout, she passed the binoculars back to the brunette and sighed.

"Are you okay?" Marceline asked, finally taking advantage of her time alone with Alexis. The brunette eyed her curiously before looking into the binoculars that she held above her rifle in the direction of the military compound.

"I'm fine."

The woman's response seemed insincere. It wasn't that Marceline really wanted to push, but at the same time a part of her felt the need to. Something had been different with the brunette. Maybe it was some form of PTSD. Maybe the woman was trying to block everything out and couldn't keep it up anymore. Whatever it was, Marceline wanted her to know that she had someone to lean on.

"I really don't think you are. Something's been off with you, Alex. You've always been the quickest on the draw when it came to the Oozers and all of a sudden you're getting pinned by one that falls from the ceiling?" Marceline paused as Alexis looked at her, obviously trying to feign ignorance. "You're not fooling anyone. You might as well tell me what's up."

The brunette heaved a sigh and directed her attention to her binoculars once again. Marceline wasn't deterred.

"Look, you're obviously bottling something up. Whatever it is, it's not healthy. Take it from someone who knows. I spent years bottling up how I felt about my mother's death." That seemed to get Alexis's attention. The woman turned her head and met Marceline's glare with a solemn expression. "Sometimes you just have to talk about it, y'know? I mean, maybe the person you're talking to doesn't have any advice to give. Maybe all they can do is apologize and say they hope things improve, but at least you get it off your chest, right?"

She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince at this point, but she kept speaking.

"If you ever feel like you need to vent...I'm here for you, okay? And if you don't trust me enough or whatever, I know that the others would be more than willing to listen as well. Alex..." Marceline couldn't help the blush that found its way onto her face as her voice shook speaking the woman's name. "We're here for you, okay? I...I'm here for you..."

"I understand," Alexis deadpanned. She let out the slightest of sighs, her eyes flitting to the ground for a moment before meeting Marceline's. Her tone was softer and more emotional than the raven-haired woman head ever heard it as she spoke. "Thank you. Perhaps after we've finished our job here I'll come to you and we can talk. For now there's something more important that needs tending to." The brunette looked away to peek through her binoculars once more. She spoke again, her voice much softer than before, if it were even possible. "I appreciate what you're trying to do." There was a pause punctuated by the caress of a light breeze. Alexis's next words took Marceline by surprise. "Don't stop, okay? I wouldn't know what to do if you did."

Why did it sound like she was on the verge of tears?


	10. Fall

The sound of lazy music plucked out on a bass guitar was the only thing aside from the fervent scribbling of a pen against paper that could be heard in the apartment. Every now and again the notes would stop and Bonnibel would look up from her textbooks to see her roommate watching her closely. When their eyes met a smile crept across Marceline's face. Bonnibel would return the smile before going back to her studies. If she looked over at the other woman for too long then she would get hopelessly distracted, nearly drowning in her thoughts about the confession she was planning on making.

After a trying day of being softly scolded by her professors for not paying attention Bonnibel decided that she couldn't keep it bottled up anymore. If she had any hope of keeping a level head in school she would need to at least let Marceline know how she felt about her. Anxiety curled up in her chest every time Bonnibel considered the possible outcomes. One was Marceline being completely horrified by it all, calling her the worst names and hurling insults at her. Another was indifference, her not caring because they had been best friends for years at that point. Yet another was that somehow Marceline felt the same way, which could lead into a romantic relationship between them.

Bonnibel wasn't sure which one of those possibilities scared her the most.

Sure, being shouted at and insulted would hurt, but she'd been picked on frequently until the day news broke that she'd befriended the big and scary punk rocker Marceline Abadeer and was used to cruelty to some extent. After getting to know her Bonnibel would tease her to no end, saying that she had no idea why anyone would be afraid of a teddy bear like her. That usually resulted in a fair amount of pouting from Marceline, which of course did nothing more than spur even more playful jokes at her expense. In the end that connection would probably make the words hurt more than if uttered by some high school nobody...

Indifference would lead to its own kind of pain. It would be one of those situations where Bonnibel found herself hopelessly in love with someone she could never have. In a way she had already resigned herself to that outcome. It's not like Marceline seemed to care when she'd come out in high school. Actually, she'd seemed happy about it, as if she had somehow known all along and was glad to see her best friend finally accept part of herself she'd tried to ignore. If they continued to live together after the impending conversation it would mean no more cuddling, no more snuggling up to one another in the same bed on cold nights, and no more lying in each others arms talking well into the morning.

If Marceline somehow felt the same way...Well...Bonnibel lacked any sort of self-confidence when it came to relationships. She'd dated a few times and it always ended the same way, with her girlfriends (or the one boyfriend she'd had) calling her a frigid bitch, saying that she was too distant and absorbed with schoolwork to give them the time of day. There had even been times when her friends had said the same thing, even Lorraine. The only one who never seemed to get all that bent out of shape was Marceline. Maybe that was a sign that there was some sort of chance?

"Hey, Bonni-butt," Marceline said loud enough to yank the blonde from her whirling thoughts. Bonnibel looked up and raised an eyebrow, tapping the end of her pen against the desk.

"You know I don't care for that nickname, Marceline," she said, her stomach doing a little back-flip as the woman's name rolled off her tongue.

"It got your attention, didn't it?" Marceline asked with a playful smirk as she set her bass guitar aside and sauntered over, draping one arm across the blonde's shoulders and planting the palm of her other hand right in the center of the notebook Bonnibel had been taking notes in. "What's it gonna take to get you to pull your nose out of your books for a few hours?"

"Not tonight. I have a big test coming up and I need to study," Bonnibel answered. Heat radiated through her everywhere that Marceline was making contact. It was impossible to concentrate on anything but her when she was this close, and Bonnibel wasn't ready for that yet. She was still trying to work up the courage to start the conversation and was nowhere near ready.

"C'mon. Take a break. You could use one," Marceline insisted. A break was tempting, more so because Marceline probably had something planned for the two of them to do. All the same, Bonnibel simply was not ready. Not. At. All.

"Not right now. I'll take a break later," she said, grabbing the arm around her shoulders and sliding it off. Bonnibel looked up into those reddish-brown eyes that she'd become so familiar with. Marceline wasn't going to let it go without a fight.

"Now, nerd. Your books will still be here when you get back."

"No, Marceline."

"C'mon, Bon! I'm sooooo bored! Let's go get a coffee or something!"

"No..."

"It'll only take, like, an hour! I promise."

"No."

"Please? What if I say I'm buying?"

For whatever reason the insistence pushed Bonnibel to her limit. She was on the verge of just blurting everything out and it nearly sent her into a panic. Instead of giving in and getting it off her chest she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Marceline, no! God, you're just a problem sometimes, y'know?"

Fuck. Why had she said that? What in the hell was wrong with her? Of ALL the things to say…

"Oh." came Marceline's response. Bonnibel looked up at her and was overwhelmed with regret and guilt as she saw the pain in the woman's eyes. The dusky-skinned girl stood up straight, arms hanging limply at her sides as she took an almost staggered step backwards. She looked like she'd been slapped.

"Hey...Marcy...I'm sorry. I didn't mea-"

"No. No, I get it now. Don't worry, dude. Study all you fucking want," Marceline snapped, cutting Bonnibel off. Her voice was shaking as she continued. The blonde's remark had cut her deep. "I'm going out. Don't wait the fuck up."

"Marceline, wait!" Bonnibel half-begged, standing.

Marceline didn't wait. Without another word she headed to the door. Despite every instinct screaming at her to stop her roommate Bonnibel just sat there in silence and watched as Marceline slipped on her coat and shoes before disappearing into the night.

Bonnibel didn't hear the other woman come home that night despite her light and restless sleep. When she woke up the next morning she went to Marceline's door and knocked a number of times. Assuming that she was still asleep, the blonde opened the door. She froze. Marceline had slipped in and begun to pack up her belongings. Bonnibel had finally succeeded in chasing her best friend away. It tore her apart. Were it not for school that day she would have waited around to discuss the previous night with her. By the time she was finished with classes for the day she returned to the apartment just as Marceline loaded the last of her boxes onto the moving truck and slid the door closed.

\--

The sound of grating metal woke Bonnibel up from her light and restless sleep. She opened her eyes just in time to see a tray of barely edible looking food being slid into her cell through the small opening near the floor. She blankly stared, wanting to try and speak to whoever or whatever was on the other side of the stained metal door, but knowing that it was no use. They never answered. Hell, she wasn't even sure they breathed seeing how her own breathing was cacophonous in the small room but there was never a sound from the other side of the door. She was only aware of the footsteps half of the time. With a shake of her head she climbed from the rack that had been bolted to the wall, scooped up the tray, and began to eat the tasteless gruel.

Three and a half days. Eighty four hours. Five thousand and forty minutes. Three hundred and two thousand and four hundred seconds...give or take an hour or two. That was how long Bonnibel had been locked up in the ten by ten foot cell, completely cut off from the outside world and everyone in it. The only thing even resembling human contact she'd had during her captivity came in the form of the slat on the door opening so tray of food could be shoved in and slid across the floor, and if she expected her next meal she had to slide her tray back through when the slat opened again. It didn't matter if she'd actually eaten or not. Lichman's lackeys expected those damn trays.

They came like clockwork. One tray every eight hours. Despite the lack of a clock in the cell Bonnibel just knew that was the amount of time between each drop off and pickup. She'd been keeping track by counting in her head. Anything she could do to focus on something other than the fact that she was completely alone and more than likely awaiting the moment when that door would open and she'd be led off to whatever grisly fate that bastard Lichman had in store for her. All thanks to Marceline's complete asshole of a father.

Bonnibel had never been a fan of Hunson. This situation just drove that point home. And now, thanks to him, the world was going to end. It was so...typical. Anything he was involved in outside of his company turned to garbage. His one meaningful accomplishment in life had been his daughter, and Bonnibel was quite certain that Marceline's mother had substantially more to do with how the woman turned out than Hunson did despite her untimely passing.

Marceline was probably being kept under lock and key. If not, then there was no doubt in the blonde's mind that she was well on her way to finding the others if she could. Knowing how the rocker tended to do things, even had she been put on lock-down she would have found a way out. A smile spread across Bonnibel's face as she recalled all of the times the onyx-haired goddess had shown up at her house in the middle of the night during high school, prepared with a plan to do something or go somewhere and more then ready to do all of the talking she needed to in an effort to convince the studious blonde to go along with it. No matter how much she'd tried to argue she always ended up going with her.

As Bonnibel finished eating something clanged in the door. She set the empty tray aside and watched with wide eyes, not entirely sure what to expect as the door slowly opened. There were three of the men in suits standing there, faces blank as they looked at her. One of them stepped forward, entering the cell and grabbing onto the blonde's arm to pull her to her feet. She tried to tug away but the creature's grasp was firm. Not tight enough to hurt, but definitely tight enough that she wasn't going to be able to get away. Bonnibel let out a sigh and hung her head in resignation as the trio led her down the hall and away from the room she'd called home for the past few days, wondering what they had in store for her.

They walked for roughly ten minutes, passing various intersecting corridors, taking a turn every now and then or going through a door. There were very few windows exposing what lay behind the gray walls of wherever they were, but through the windows she did see Bonnibel spotted more of the suit-clad beings. They had a number of computers set up as they scanned what looked like traffic camera footage, hunting for someone or something. Other monitors displayed world maps with scattered red dots littering the various continents. It was proof that Lichman had every intent on keeping up with the threats he made. This had Bonnibel wondering if the man himself was here, and if he was what he had in store for her.

The first of her ruminations was confirmed as the three suits ushered her through a set of double doors, pushing her inside of a large room that had been converted into a lounge of sorts. They'd even taken the effort to have a fireplace installed, which seemed a bit odd. The immense high-backed chair that sat in front of the fireplace cast odd shadows around the room that danced on the number of filled bookcases as well as the ornate desk that sat against the only wall not occupied by row after row of shelved books. It wasn't until the chair's occupant absently waved a hand that the three men in suits closed the doors, themselves outside and Bonnibel left in the room.

"Please, sit," the man said, his voice smooth and deep. It sent a shiver down the blonde's spine. Without really thinking about it she walked over to a much smaller chair positioned to the side of the one the man sat in and sank into it, looking on the face of William Lichman in the flesh for the first time.

In an attempt to focus on anything other than how absolutely uncomfortable being this close to the man made her (though if she had to be honest being in the same COUNTRY as him had her skin crawling) Bonnibel took note of the music playing lightly in the background. After a light swelling of strings a lone piano began to play, the feature of this particularly piece. She'd listening to a great deal of concertos in her time as a student, finding that it helped her to concentrate better while she studied, but this piece was one she was a bit more intimately familiar with thanks to Marceline. As Bonnibel listened she closed her eyes for a moment, the piano flourishing in a blistering string of melodic notes, almost able to see the pianist's fingers dancing across the keys.

It took her back to one of the first times Bonnibel had accompanied Marceline to any sort of performance. She'd been hesitant to accept until her friend and new roommate explained that it wasn't a rock concert. The blonde had heard all sorts of things about them and had no interest in being around what she was sure was a chaotic mess of people. But to have a chance to see a performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto Number Three? Sign her up. So they put on their best formal wear and enjoyed forty five minutes of beautiful music followed up with a lovely dinner at one of the more expensive places in their area of the city, as Marceline insisted that it would be a waste if they didn't get the most out of the fact that they'd dressed up.

Bonnibel was brought back to the present as Lichman let out a sigh. She opened her eyes to see the man swirling some sort of dark liquid in a glass, fingertips gripping it by the edge. He looked over at the blonde and a smirk spread across his wide mouth, green eyes glowing as if he could sense the fear in her. After a few tense moments of nothing but music he finally spoke again.

"You and your friends are very difficult people to find," Lichman remarked, a sinister edge to his voice. Bonnibel didn't comment. She simply sat still, hands folded in her lap as she and the greatest threat the world had ever seen stared one another down. "I must admit, Ms. Barton, you've caused me more than a bit of trouble. I'm not too happy about that."

"Maybe you shouldn't have sent your goons to kidnap innocent people, then," Bonnibel retorted, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scowled. This brought forth a gravelly chuckle from Lichman before he raised his glass to his lips and took a sip.

"It was a necessity. If my plans are going to succeed then it's going to involve neutralizing any potential threats. Your little group is one such collection of threats," he explained. His tone darkened some, as well as his expression. "The only reason that you or any of the others are still alive now is because I need information from you." Bonnibel fought the urge to let out a sigh of relief. The others were alive. She'd feared the worst when they had been separated. "You're going to tell me about the brunette that appeared at the focus of the explosion in the city."

"What makes you think that's going to happen?" Bonnibel spat, hands curling into fists on her thighs. Lichman raised a cellphone in his free hand and brandished it like it were some sort of weapon.

"All it takes is a phone call and one by one your friends die."

Bonnibel's blood ran cold. She knew that he wasn't bluffing. Lichman had proven that he had no value of life based on the remark he'd made about finding good help. They weren't people to him, only tools to be used. And he seemed overall unaffected by their deaths other than irritated at the inconvenience that it had caused him.

"What makes you think I know anything?" Bonnibel asked, unable to stop her voice from trembling ever so slightly.

"We've done extensive testing on your blood, Bonnibel. The only two in your little group we haven't been able to acquire samples on are the Abadeer girl and your brunette friend. I probably know more about you that you do."

Her memory flashed back to when she had first been taken captive, roughly a week after the explosion. The doctor who had been in the examination room before Alexis showed up had indeed taken a blood sample. How had she missed that? She knew that there was some reason behind the blood tests, but what could they have possibly had to do with why Lichman chose her out of everyone for interrogation?

"I know about your little gift. You were already a rather intelligent girl, just above genius level based on your school records," Lichman said with a smug grin. They both knew who was in control right now, but this obviously wasn't about control. It was about domination and decimation, making her know that there was no way out of this and she was completely at his mercy.

"Lately you've been going through some changes, hm? Recalling things from the past, things that seemed irrelevant at the time but pop into your head when you need them the most?"

Bonnibel simply looked at him. His eyes narrowed and he pressed a button on the cellphone. She knew what he wanted.

"Yes," she breathed, loathing herself for going along with the sick game he was playing. Bonnibel figured that she and her friends were probably all as good as dead anyway, but there was no need to torture herself more and risk giving out any information she didn't absolutely have to for fear of the others dying first. After all, if she was already dead how could it hurt her any? Lichman had made it obvious that none of them were going to make it out alive.

"Perfect recall. It's a very rare thing. That, coupled with the extensive neurological changes that are slowly turning you into the human equivalent of a supercomputer is what leads me to believe that you have the information I want," Lichman said almost nonchalantly, the baritone of his voice fading out and giving way to the flowing music that still played in the background. His eyes went to the fire as he drained his glass, locking there as he continued. "The brunette. Tell me about her, everything you know."

\--

After hours of watching and waiting the group decided to meet back up at the Humvee. After much deliberation they felt their only choice was to attempt to enter the building and fight their way through. While not ideal it seemed to be the only option they had. Again, Leslie would stay with the vehicle, the engine idling so they could make a quick getaway once Bonnibel had been retrieved. Alexis declared that she would stay behind and take a tactical position on a nearby water tower. She was the best marksman in the group, and her staying behind while the others moved in was purely so she could create a diversion in the form of picking off the Oozers outside of the facility and draw them away. Granted, it would alert those inside to their presence, but it seemed like the most sound option.

Once everything was set it was Phoebe who turned to Alexis and spoke.

"Are you sure you want to do this? This could be it for you, Alex. You'll be on your own. We're not going to be able to offer any help once we're inside."

With a nod Alexis responded, her tone solemn. "I am sure. Do not worry about me. You are all more than capable of handling this. And I will meet up with you once you have retrieved Bonnibel."

The group exchanged a series of sad glances before they approached Alexis one by one, offering her luck and words of support. Last was Marceline, who was unsure of what she should say. She began to speak, just letting the words flow naturally.

"You'd better be alright. If you're not out here waiting then I'm not gonna be a happy camper," Marceline said, forcing a smile. Alexis nodded as a small grin found its way to her lips. "Seriously, dude. You and I are supposed to have a talk later, remember?"

"I remember," Alexis said softly. Her eyes flitted to the ground for a moment as she looked around, possibly searching for what to say. When she looked back up her eyebrows were knitted and any hint of levity had faded from her features. "Don't worry. I promise we'll have that talk." The brunette reached out and clapped a hand encouragingly on Marceline's arm. "Now get in there and save Bonnie."

Marceline could feel tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around Alexis and pulled her into a tight hug, fighting the urge to cry. She refused to let herself believe that this was going to be goodbye. The brunette had come out of worse. She'd make it out of this. And all of them would head back to the cabin when it was over. As a group. To Marceline's surprise Alexis returned the hug after a moment. When they pulled apart she nodded and started off towards the water tower. The breeze picked up again, blowing the woman's hair aside to reveal the slits in her shirt, the skin below already mostly healed.

'Yeah,' Marceline thought. 'She'll be okay.'

She and the others got as close as they dared for risk of setting off the alarm earlier than planned. After nearly ten minutes of crouching behind a large stack of crates the first gunshot rang out, reverberating off of the nearby buildings. Almost immediately after a chorus of screeches rang out and gunfire started, much closer to where the group was. With each successive shot it the din of pops began to grow softer. Marceline risked a glance and saw that, while there were a few Oozer corpses on the dusty ground, heads voided of their contents, there were so many more approaching the water tower. Some of them skittered in the grotesque insect-like manner that they moved in, but the majority of them had their own weapons raised and were showering the water tower with bullets. Through it all those distant shots continued to ring out, and with each one another Oozer fell.

The group seized the chance to move forward, sprinting to the set of double doors that were left exposed by the enemy. Finn went first, barreling into the heavy doors shoulder first and slamming them open before ducking into a roll. He'd grasped his rifle in the process, coming to a stop down on one knee as the first of a series of fireballs soared over his head and hit a cluster of Oozers down the long hallway in front of them. More of the monsters began to emerge from doorways. Each one that entered the hall fell. Between the gunfire and Phoebe's attacks they didn't stand a chance. Marceline only hoped that Alexis was faring as well.

\--

"I'm telling you, I don't know anyth-"

Bonnibel was cut off by the sound of approaching gunfire and concussive booms that echoed from the hall she'd been led down. Lichman sneered, abruptly standing and turning to face the door. He lifted his phone to his ear and the blonde heard it ring once before the line went dead. The man tried a few other numbers, all with the same results. It gave Bonnibel hope. Perhaps her friends had been able to pull of their own daring escapes...and now they were here for her.

As if to confirm this the doors to the makeshift study flew open with a bang, flames flowing through the opening as they flickered up towards the ceiling before fading away. Bonnibel jumped to the ground. The force from her abrupt movement caused her chair to teeter over as well. That was fine with her once the sounds of numerous assault rifles pierced the air. The last thing she wanted was to end up shot. She doubted she could remove a bullet from herself, and were she hit she figured that there was little chance of being able to walk any of the others through it.

Lichman, despite his jacket and shirt being shredded by a spray of bullets, stood firm. Bonnibel risked standing as the sounds died down. She saw the group standing there. Well, most of the group. Alexis and Leslie weren't with them. But as her gaze landed on the tall, black-haired woman she'd come to love so much over the years she felt any anxiety brought on by the two missing members of the party fade away. Marceline was there and she was fine. The horror etched across the faces of the group had Bonnibel looking towards Lichman.

"You impudent fools! You think you can come in here, kill my pets, and then me!? I AM THE LICH!" he roared, his voice booming. Bonnibel felt like she'd had the air sucked from her lungs. On top of that the room had gone unnaturally cold. The light from the fire had also changed, going from reddish orange to a bright green, matching the color of Lichman's now blazing eyes. He raised one hand into the air before swinging it down. White hot pain shot through the blonde and caused her to cry out. It took remarkable effort to open her eyes and look at the man towering above her.

William Lichman let out a sinister chuckle as he sneered at Bonnibel, fierce eyes glowing. She shot a panicked look around the room. Her friends lay in different poses surrounding her, all of them unconscious. Whatever Lichman was, it wasn't human. No, he was something much worse...As if he could read her mind, the Lich began to speak.

"You are alone, child," he husked, taking a step forward. Bonnibel let out a groan. Her hand went to her head as the room began to spin around her. She fell to her knees as the man continued his slow approach, herself weak beyond measure. "There is only darkness for you, and only death for your people."

Black tendrils of confusion were slowly working their way into Bonnibel's mind, clouding her thoughts, forcing her into a haze. "These creatures are just the beginning. I will command a great and terrible army..." Though the rest of the world around her had been plunged into a void she could somehow still hear the Lich speaking, could feel his terrible presence as he bore down on her.

"And we will travel across the world...We will travel until every light has been extinguished." Bonnibel growled, a deep and throaty sound, as she forced her eyes upwards. The man standing before her in the void was a man no longer. He had taken on the appearance of a large skeleton clad in tattered robes, scant amounts of flesh clinging to his bones and two curling horns on his head, one of them broken off. He tilted his head to the side and sneered as best as he could with the remnants of muscle and tattered skin of his face.

"You are strong, child," the Lich remarked, the slightest hint of admiration in his voice. "But I am beyond strength. I am...the end."

Bonnibel glared as she inwardly screamed for her arms and legs to work. She was able to pick herself up and stand, although bent over, in her best show of defiance. The Lich's next words chilled her to the core. It was as if a length of ice had been plunged through her chest as the monster's rumbling voice echoed all around her.

"And I have come for you, girl..." The Lich stretched his skeletal hand toward her, palm out. He angled his hand down as he issued his command. "Fall."

Unable to resist, Bonnibel dropped once more, her vision fading into darkness.


	11. Trust

The world was nothing but white hot pain. Marceline felt it crashing over her body in wave after agonizing wave. Each breath she took felt like she was being skewered through her chest and her head pounded as a steady stream of pops sounded from somewhere in the distance. Or...was it right behind her? As consciousness slowly came back to her she realized that what she was hearing was the steady thrum of gunfire. Even more pain radiated through her as she forced her heavy eyes open. The mantle of the fireplace was reduced to a pockmarked slab of ruined marble. Books that had once sat on shelves now lay in ruins. And the desk in the far end of the room was a splintered mess. It wasn't until the single book that lay on top of the desk jumped as one of the bullets in the stream hit it that Lichman, or the Lich as he had called himself, seemed phased.

A deafening scream rang out as the entity transitioned into mist and was at the desk in an instant. Skeletal hands wrapped around the damaged book on the wooden surface before Lichman, book and all, once more turned into a mass of intangible blackness and shot towards the flames. As he, or it, or whatever the hell the thing was entered the hearth the fire flared and their adversary was gone. The flames returned to their natural color and cast their low light over the room.

Marceline's vision was still blurry, but it began to clear as a familiar yet bloodied face hung over her. A gentle hand patted her cheek as the woman spoke.

"Hey, wake up. Come on. We've got to get moving, Marcy. Please, snap out of it," Alexis grumbled, her voice coming out hoarse and raspy as if she'd spent some time screaming at the top of her lungs.

Sensing the urgency in the woman's voice Marceline allowed herself to be helped into a sitting position with a groan. She blinked a number of times and shook her head in an effort to clear the fog that still remained. Her eyes scanned the room, the rest of her friends lying around her. Her heart fell as she caught sight of Bonnibel unconscious on the floor. Immediately her panic took over. She hardly noticed the others slowly start to rise around her as she cradled the blonde in her arms and plead with her to wake up, letting her know that she was there and she would be safe soon.

Rough hands on her shoulders dragged her attention from the incapacitated yet still alive Bonnibel. Marceline looked up through her tears to see Lorraine standing there with the utmost urgency on her face.

"We've gotta go, Marcy," the slight brunette said, shaking Marceline's shoulders roughly.

"Bonnie, she's..."

Marceline let her voice trail off, unable to finish. Lorraine nodded and heaved a sigh.

"I know. Carry her. Something. But we can't hang around here," she said sternly.

After a nod of acknowledgment Marceline slid on arm behind Bonnibel's knees and the other behind her back, lifting her as she effortlessly stood. The others had seemed to collect themselves rather quickly as well. Without a word Alexis stepped into the hallway and started towards the exit, her clothing matted with blood and torn in a number of places. She was also sporting a rather dramatic limp, the right leg of her pants barely hanging on by a thin strip of wet red fabric. The others filed out after her, Marceline and Bonnibel in the middle of the group.

\--

Gunpowder, smoke, sweat, and strawberries. That was apparently what death smelled like, Bonnibel thought. The last image she saw was still burning in her mind. The friends who came to save her lying on the ground limp and the monster responsible for their collective deaths standing above her with an outstretched hand. That one word reverberated in her skull (if she even still had one...after all, she was dead, right?).

"Fall..."

A series of shouts pierced the Lich's command, shredding it to nothingness. She could hear panicked voices calling out directions, some male and some female. It was then that she realized she was bouncing, though not roughly. In fact, her head was pressed against something soft and warm. With a light groan Bonnibel opened her eyes and realized that she was being carried, wrapped up in strong arms that held her close, the side of her head resting against someone's chest. If the rapid heartbeat was anything to go by, whoever was carrying her was in a state of panic.

Silken tendrils of the darkest shade fell against Bonnibel's face as the forward momentum stopped. She wanted to look up and see who was holding her and what was happening, but her body was absolutely against it at the moment. Her vision blurred and blackness started to overtake her once more. The only thing that held it at bay and kept her in the world of the conscious was the vibration against her face as whoever was carrying her spoke.

"How many of these damn things are there?"

Bonnibel knew that voice, but her mind was hazy and kept her from conjuring an image of the owner's face. She scrunched her face up as best she could and another soft cry escaped her lips. Black hair, an almost lyrical voice, and the scent of strawberries...The blonde's eyes opened the slightest of cracks as it hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt all of the embarrassment she was able to in having forgotten. How could she have forgotten the face and name of the one person she loved more than anything in the world?

Mind still muddled, Bonnibel forced herself to look up. She wanted – no, needed – to see Marceline's face. In the event she slipped back into whatever dark hell she'd been forced into by the Lich she wanted to have something else to focus on. Why not make it the most beautiful thing she could think of? As blue eyes traced every detail of the other woman's face, the high cheekbones, the brown eyes that took on a red tint in the right light, the lips that she was sure tasted sweeter and felt softer than she'd dreamed, tears began to fall. Even coated in a layer of sweat and dirt Marceline Abadeer maintained an unnatural beauty. Surely when the ancient people of the world thought of goddesses they saw her.

"M-marcy..." Bonnibel managed to croak out. Though her voice was weak and seemed no louder than a whisper in her own ears Marceline had heard it, her head snapping down instantly. The woman let out a relieved and watery chuckle, squeezing the blonde ever so slightly just as a lone tear trailed through the layer of grime on her cheek.

"Don't worry, Bon. We're gonna get you out of here," Marceline said with the slightest tremble to her voice.

Bonnibel forced one of her arms to work, raising it to brush the offending tear from the dusky-skinned beauty that held her so close and spoke the most reassuring words she'd heard in what felt like years. Just as her fingertips met moisture her body went weak and she slipped into darkness. The last thought that passed through her foggy head was that she was safe now. She was with Marceline.

Her eyes opened what felt like seconds later. Now Bonnibel was lying down. Well, as close to lying down as could be managed in the cramped back seat of whatever vehicle she was in. She let out a slight cough and turned her head to see Marceline's face still above her. That was good. What she found unsettling was the mild panic on the woman's face as her eyes went from the windshield to the roof of the vehicle. A series of cracks rang out in quick succession. Was someone firing a gun?

"I thought you said you could drive!" Phoebe exclaimed. Bonnibel craned her neck just enough to see the redhead grabbing onto the support strap bolted to the roof of the car in a white knuckle grip just as the vehicle bucked.

"I can, thank you very much! But I meant on, like, streets and stuff! I'm not used to this whole off-road thing!" Leslie spat defensively. She may not have been on Bonnibel's list of favorite people, but all the same she was glad that the woman was safe. But why was she driving? Wasn't that something that-

Her thoughts were cut off as a hail of metallic thuds rang out followed by a pained grunt from above and the feeling of something warm and wet falling onto her face. Bonnibel reached up and brushed aside the offending liquid, eyes widening a bit as she looked at the crimson staining her fingertips. A few growled swears and one accidental elbow to the blonde's thigh later the source was discovered.

"Alex! Christ! You're hit again!" Marceline exclaimed.

"I am well aware..." the brunette snapped, obviously more than a little angry about the situation. "It grazed my arm. They're using higher caliber rounds. Took a damn chunk out." Alexis explained. Bonnibel felt more of the droplets land across her shirt and arms, which were laid across her midsection. She saw the blurred form of Alexis lean across her, silhouetted by sunlight streaming through a circular opening in the vehicle's roof as she dug around in the back for something. "Let's see how these motherfuckers like this."

"Dude, is that a grenade!?" Finn asked from somewhere out of sight, obviously surprised. Bonnibel heard Alexis let out a chuckle before the light from above was blocked. The clink of a small metal object hitting the floor board nearby met the blonde's ears, followed up a few moments later by a resounding series of booms. Various whoops from her friends let her know that, as always, the brunette had hit her mark. The hatch in the roof of the vehicle was closed as Alexis lowered herself inside once more, this time shuffling around and settling nearby. After what felt like ages Marceline finally turned her attention down to her lap where Bonnibel's head lay.

"Told you we'd get you out of there" the woman said with a smile, her eyes rimmed with tears once more. Bonnibel nodded before nuzzling against her as best she could. "You're safe, Bonnie." As she closed her eyes she felt a hand gingerly brush a few strands of hair from her face. "Everything's gonna be alright."

The last thing Bonnibel said before she allowed herself to be carried off into unconsciousness once more were a few simple words, spoken with as much emotion as she could muster. She hoped that Marceline could read everything veiled by them, wanting nothing more than to express the unyielding adoration she had for the woman as she allowed cool and slender fingers to slip between her own.

"I know...I trust you..."

\--

Silence had fallen over the Humvee. They'd been driving for about an hour since losing the last of the Oozers. Nobody but Bonnibel was sleeping, though none of the vehicles occupants had much to say. Truth be told, if any of them were as worn out as Marceline then it wouldn't be long before all of them were snoring. Thankfully Leslie hadn't been involved in any of the strenuous activity. With the extensive questioning she'd done about the route the GPS device was guiding her down she seemed to have more than enough energy to spare. After being snapped at by the other conscious women she finally shut her mouth and just drove. Nobody was complaining.

Phoebe broke the silence with a question directed towards the injured brunette sitting at her feet.

"So...what happened before you came in and saved our asses for the umpteenth time?"

"I did what I said I would. I provided a distraction and allowed you the opening you needed to enter the facility," Alexis deadpanned, her eyes locked on her bloodied hands.

Marceline looked at her closely. The woman was more beaten up than she'd ever seen her. She had a great number of minor cuts and scrapes as well as a large gash on her forehead, dried blood causing strands of her hair to cling to her face and neck. Out of everyone in the group she looked the worst. Even Bonnibel, who was out like a light, wasn't as worrying a sight as the brunette. Bonnibel wasn't caked in a large amount of half-dried vital fluid. She wasn't dealing with a section of her arm having been torn away by the force of a bullet. She hadn't suffered what looked like a massive dog bite to her leg.

"There were dozens of those things. How is it that you managed to handle them and then make your way to us? Details would be appreciated," Lorraine said in the way she had when she was trying to be polite but demanding at the same time.

"I was still on the water tower after you entered the building. A large number of the Oozers remained on the ground. The others began to climb the tower. For every one I took down another began to rush forward, discarding its weapon and choosing to travel on all fours," Alexis explained, her eyes glassing over as she stared off at nothing in particular.

"It did not take long for them to reach me. I was able to jump to the nearby rooftop to avoid being overrun. Of course, they followed, and one was waiting for me when I landed. I was able to dispatch it easy enough, though one of the jumpers got its hands on me. It knocked me down, which is how I got this."

Alexis pointed a finger at her forehead.

"I managed to get back to my feet quick enough and take out the few that joined me on the rooftop. Despite their strength and...odd mannerisms and skills, the Oozers are lacking in any obvious signs of intelligence. It is almost as if they operate as part of a hive mind, though I do not think that Lichman himself is a part of that collective. He is merely their progenitor. I could be wrong, but I feel as though that is the closest to an actual explanation. Otherwise Lichman would have been well aware of our liberation. But I digress..."

The brunette let out a sigh before she continued, saying "The whole situation was truly bizarre to witness." Another pause as she slowly blinked. "More and more of the creatures were climbing the side of the water tower. The supports began to give way and the entire structure toppled over. If I had to attribute it to anything I would be inclined to say that it was pure luck, as illogical as it is."

"I took advantage of the opportunity it presented and jumped to the ground. Had I seen the Oozer waiting for me I would have spared myself the damage to my leg, though that is easily taken care of and will have healed in a couple of days. With their numbers outside decimated I thought it wise to offer assistance, so I entered the complex and followed the trail of breadcrumbs you were kind enough to leave."

Jake let out an amused snort. Despite the entire situation being far from entertaining Marceline found herself unable to resist curling her lips into a smile. At least they'd made it easy to find them.

"I am not sure what was happening when I arrived. There were massive energy fluctuations occurring in the room, centered around what I can only assume was Lichman. I acted on instinct and began to fire. Then he rendered himself incorporeal and fled."

Once more silence overtook the Humvee. This one was much shorter.

"I guess it works out that we've got a one-woman army to watch our backs," Finn chuckled. Alexis looked up, her eyes clearing as they fell on the man. Based on her expression she wanted to say something. Before she had a chance Phoebe chimed in.

"I guess I was wrong not to trust you," the redhead remarked with a small smile. "You seem to have our backs no matter what, but I still think you're not being entirely honest with us." Her smile shifted into a determined smirk. "We'll get it all out of you one of these days, though."

"I have no doubt that you will, Phoebe," Alexis responded flatly. She shifted her weight and let out a slight hiss, her hand clamped on her injured leg just above her knee as if she could will the pain in her calf away.

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright? It looks like you're not doing so hot," Marceline commented, her eyebrows knitted in concern, the sleeping woman in her lap forgotten at that moment. Alexis merely nodded in response, a glint in her slightly narrowed eyes that said that she wasn't going to allow a conversation about her injuries.

The Humvee continued to thunder down back roads and side streets until heading down the same entrance to the wilderness preserve that they'd no doubt taken nearly a week before. While everyone aside from herself and Leslie dozed, Marceline had her forehead pressed against the window next to her, watching the trees pass by. Had it really been a week? It felt like so much more time had passed, like it had been years since she was going about her everyday life, attending school, practicing for recitals, and missing the days when she and Bonnibel had spent so much time together.

Bonnibel. The woman was sleeping still, her head twitching and face contorting into a frown every now and again. A few strokes of her hair and her expression melted away into the serene tranquility she usually had when she dreamed. As much love as Marceline had for her, as much as she'd missed her and felt a deep drive to save and protect her, something had changed. The love was still there. Marceline doubted that would ever go away, however she couldn't deny that something within her had changed.

Her eyes fell on Alexis, whose chin was pressed against her chest as her head lolled from side to side with every slight movement of the vehicle. There was no doubt in Marceline's mind that the mysterious brunette who had shown up out of nowhere and risked her life over and over for her and her friends was the cause of this change. She felt almost as strong a need to defend Alexis as she did Bonnibel. It broke her heart to see her repeatedly injured, made her angry beyond belief to see it happen with her own eyes. The Oozer she'd rendered to a thick paste in the bank was evidence of that. But what did it mean?

Marceline pushed the thoughts from her head as the Humvee came to a stop in front of the deceptively run-down looking cabin. Everyone seemed aware that they were no longer traveling and began to stir. They exited the vehicle and trudged to the door, Phoebe wrapping one of Alexis's arms around her shoulder so the woman didn't have to put as much pressure on her injured leg, and Marceline cautiously carrying the still unconscious blonde.

Once inside the first order of business was for everyone to get cleaned up. It was an almost unanimous decision that Alexis had earned rights to the first shower. After stepping into the same bedroom she'd slept a few days in before the meeting with Hunson she emerged with a set of clothing. As it turned out the only working shower in the cabin was down in the bunker, and it was a decontamination shower. Not really what anyone was used to, but it had hot water and got the job done. Alexis was downstairs for just long enough to get cleaned up, bandage her leg and arm, and change into clean clothing.

With Bonnibel resting comfortably in the bedroom of the main floor and fresh clothes laid out for everyone Marceline sank onto the couch and leaned her head back, looking up as she heard Alexis announce that the shower was free. Finn and Jake immediately began to fight over which one of them would get it next, effectively allowing the women, who had already established the order amongst themselves earlier, to go on with their plan. Due to an excess of bitching Leslie was next in line. As much as the others reeked to high heavens nobody felt like arguing. They were all far too tired for that. So the pudgy blonde headed down into the bunker.

Alexis cleared her throat before speaking, drawing everyone's attention. "I need some air. If anything happens, I have my earpiece. I will return before nightfall."

"There's snow on the ground and you're wearing shorts. You're asking for a cold or something," Phoebe said with a frown.

"At least take a jacket?" Lorraine requested. The brunette nodded, grabbing a jacket from the closet before heading to the door without another word. As it closed the only sound in the living area was that of the brothers resuming their wrestling. How they had the strength for it was anyone's guess.

Marceline gave Lorraine a small smile as she sat down on the couch next to her. There was a look in the Korean woman's eyes, and it was a look that Marceline knew well. She was about to start asking questions, poking and prodding for answers. It was a practice she only engaged in when she was truly concerned for her friend, knowing Marceline's tendency to avoid answering with the full truth. Before Lorraine could start the other woman headed her off.

"Can I ask you something?" Marceline inquired, her eyebrows knitted as she spoke in a whisper.

"I was going to ask you the same, but sure," Lorraine responded with a small grin. This was a first for the pair. Marceline let out a small sigh, thinking about her words carefully.

"Do you think that it's possible for someone to have feelings for more than one person?"

Lorraine looked towards the floor, thinking. She bobbed her head from side to side as she thought about the possibility before her dark brown eyes flitted back up to meet her friend's.

"Is this about who I think it's about?" Lorraine asked, one eyebrow quirking up slightly, that all-knowing smile on her face. She was far too observant of people around her for her own good sometimes.

"I'm just speaking hypothetically here," Marceline breathed. She frowned, shaking her head. "While we were at Keila's she said some stuff and I guess she got in my head a little."

"Well, let me ask you this. Who do you love more, your hypothetical person or you-know-who?"

Marceline rolled her eyes. "I don't know, maybe the girl I've been in love with since tenth grade?" she scoffed. Her mind went back to the thoughts she'd had en route to the cabin. She'd already come this far. Might as well spill the rest. It's not like she hadn't shared worse with Lorraine, after all. Being two women of color brought them close in their own way amongst their peers and even in their group of friends. It was kick-started their entire friendship in the beginning.

"I guess I just feel like something's changed with how I feel about her. I can't really explain it. All I know is that it's different and I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, after the explosion it's like we'd reconnected, like we'd gone back to the way things were before. The thing is that...I don't want it to be like it was before. Hell, I never really wanted it like that when it was like that. I always wanted more but was too scared about ruining the friendship we had to do anything about it. And now I feel like I'm being pulled to someone else for the same reasons I was drawn to her to begin with..."

"I think you need to just sit down and talk to Bonnie," Lorraine said with a soft sigh and a shake of her head. She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and the corner of her mouth twisted into a slight smirk. "I've been telling you that for years now."

"I know you have. The timing never felt right, though. And then we were living together and...I was just constantly afraid of losing her," Marceline explained, wringing her hands in her lap. Lorraine wrapped her up in a comforting half hug.

"Well, what better time than the end of the world, right?"

Of course Lorraine was right. She generally was about things like this, though for all this time Marceline had been ignoring the heartfelt advice. With a nod she stood and walked to the closet to snatch a jacket out, shrugging it on.

"I'm gonna go find Alex," Marceline announced. Lorraine shot her a questioning look, eyes narrowed. She responded with a simple shake of her head before stepping out into the cold afternoon air. It was crazy how little she'd noticed the temperature with the constant chaos all around her.

It didn't take her long to find Alexis sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs. She simply had to follow the shallow footsteps through the thin layer of snow on the ground. The walk was a bit longer than she'd expected. It took her what she estimated to be about fifteen minutes before she finally came to a clearing and found Alexis sitting with her back to the treeline. The afternoon sun had melted away the snow in that spot. As she drew closer Marceline realized that it was a cliff that sat poised above a vast expanse of trees below, stretching out and over the mountains in the distance. That was where the brunette's attention was currently directed. At least that's what Marceline thought. She approached, no longer given away by the crunching of half-compacted snow beneath her feet, but still the other woman knew she was there.

"I thought you would want to stay at the cabin and await your turn in the shower," Alexis said softly. Marceline hummed in response as she shrugged her shoulders, standing next to the woman and shoving her hands into the pockets of the jacket to protect them from the cold.

"Figured I'd come out and see what you were up to," Marceline replied. She let out an impressed whistle as she surveyed the landscape. It was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. The sky was just beginning to redden as the sun started to sink towards the summits of the mountains. "This is one hell of a view."

"It is."

"Any reason why you chose this spot in particular? Other than the awesome scenery, that is," Marceline asked. She was trying at small talk, though she'd never been particularly good at it. All the same she figured that it was a good way to gauge if Alexis was open to conversation or if her declaration that she needed air was actually her saying she wanted time alone.

"I have never seen a sunset. I thought that it was something that should be experienced in the event that we are unable to complete our task," the brunette responded.

"Wait, you've never seen a sunset? C'mon, everyone's seen a sunset at least once. And you're, what, twenty five? Twenty six?" Marceline said in disbelief. She hoped her subtle attempt at trying to at least learn the woman's age wasn't too obvious. But she honestly wanted to know more about her and if being sneaky was how she had to then it was what she would do.

Alexis was quiet for a moment, her head tilting slightly to the side before she answered. "I am months away from my twenty sixth birthday. I assure you that I have not seen a sunset. My childhood is not what you would call...normal...And it is not something I wish to discuss at present."

"Don't worry about it. I'm not a fan of talking about when I was a kid either," Marceline breathed. From the edginess in the brunette's tone it was obvious that whatever had happened to her, however she grew up, it had a huge and lasting effect on her.

"How is she?" Alexis asked, her eyes still fixed on the sea of green below the cliff. Marceline let out a sigh before sinking down next to the brunette, bending one knee and draping an arm over it. She no doubt meant Bonnibel.

"Sleeping. Whatever Lichman, or the Lich, or whatever the fuck he wants to call himself, did to us hit her the hardest. From what I can tell she's having off and on nightmares," Marceline explained. She swallowed hard, trying to reassure herself that Bonnibel would be fine once this passed. "I'm worried about her, y'know? Everybody else is, too. They might not be saying anything, but we're all worried."

"That is understandable," Alexis said softly. After a pause she turned her head to look at Marceline, sympathy in her blue eyes. "I am also worried. With what I saw..." Another pause coupled with Alexis turning her eyes down. "I do not know what kind of power Lichman possesses, but whatever it is, it is something far more formidable than we are prepared for. And it seems as though the man is impervious to injury from conventional methods."

"There's gotta be some way to hurt him, right? I mean, nobody's invincible..." Marceline muttered with a shake of her head.

"It is going to take some work, but yes. Surely there is some way to stop him," the brunette said in a determined tone. Somehow whenever she took that tone it did wonders to bolster Marceline's resolve. After a brief pause Alexis spoke again. "You were awake when I arrived in the study. Did you happen to notice the book on the desk?"

"You mean the one he grabbed before he turned tail?" Marceline asked. The brunette nodded. "Yeah, I saw it. I mean, I didn't really get a look at it, but I noticed how he reacted when one of your bullets hit it."

"I think our answer to dealing with the Lich lies within those pages. Perhaps our next objective should be to acquire the book and find out what is so important about it," Alexis suggested.

"That's the best we have to go on. It's probably the only thing we've got to go on," Marceline chuckled. "Was there anything else about the book that caught your attention?"

Alexis hummed, her brow creasing and eyes narrowing in thought. "I saw the cover for a split second. There was a ring of runes, at least I believe they were runes. I am uncertain of their origin, but the tome looked quite old."

"Like, antique old, or ancient artifact old?"

"Ancient artifact old."

"I think I know somebody who might be able to help us out. And this time I promise that nobody's going to be turned over to the Oozers," Marceline said quickly, seeing the wary look that Alexis was giving her. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly, demanding an explanation of her certainty. "He's a really old friend of my mom's. He actually helped me come up with the plan to sneak away from Hunson's place to find you and Phoebe. Simon's been the only trustworthy father figure I've ever had. That man's got nothing for love for me and the people I care about. We can depend on him."

"And he has knowledge of lost civilizations?" Alexis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, loads. He collects stuff like that. That man's probably spent a king's ransom on all sorts of relics from whatever fallen societies you could think of," Marceline said, beaming with pride as her heart filled with warmth at the thought of the white-haired man she held so much love for. And he'd earned every ounce of it.

"Then we will make arrangements to speak with him, so long as we can do so without drawing the attention of your father. I would like to avoid a repeat of our last encounter with him given that we have already gone through one week of the three week time limit set by Lichman," Alexis said flatly.

"Naw, I get it. I'm sorry about that, by the way. I knew my dad was shitty but I didn't think he'd actually pull something like that. I fucked up," Marceline sighed, her eyes going to the ground. She looked up as Alexis placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to see the brunette smiling sympathetically.

"You more than made up for it, Marceline."

With a shake of her head Marceline spoke. "It was all my fault. I could have gotten you all killed, Alex. That would have been on me, because of me. I don't think there's anything I could do to make up for that. If something would have happened to any of you guys..."

"Nothing happened that we will not recover from," Alexis insisted. There was a kindness in her eyes that showed that she was speaking honestly and from the heart. Well, as from the heart as she could. "Were it not for you then none of us would be here right now. Your connections made it possible for us to acquire the information and equipment that we were in desperate need of at the time. Yes, the situation with Hunson was a hitch in the plan, but it was rectified. And in the process of reconnecting with the members of our group we were able to acquire valuable information about Lichman that could very well be the key to stopping him."

"Thanks..." Marceline whispered. For a moment longer she was at a loss for words. It wasn't until Alexis let her hand fall that she was able to find her voice again, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. "That's probably the nicest thing anyone's said to me in a while. I feel a bit better about the whole thing now."

"I feel as though you are too critical of yourself at times," Alexis said softly. She took a sharp breath as if she were going to add something, though slowly let it out and remained quiet. Since they were being a bit more open with their feelings Marceline figured it was as good a time as ever to bring up the conversation they'd arranged on having before Bonnibel's rescue.

"So...about that talk we're supposed to have..." Marceline said with a small smile. The brunette nodded her head and heaved a sigh. She licked her lips, something that brought a guilty blush to the other woman's cheeks, before she started.

"You asked me if I am okay and went on to say that I'm bottling things up," Alexis said, the shift in her demeanor as obvious as it was sudden. She let out another sigh and scratched at the back of her head, eyes locked on the tops of her boots. "It's not that I am bottling anything up, it is just that I'm sort of...distracted, I suppose you could say..."

"By what?" Marceline asked, eyebrows knitted in concern. She was elated that Alexis was finally opening up about her feelings, though it was concerning that the brunette's face had begun to twitch slightly. It was almost as if getting each word out was a fight.

"I am not sure who I am supposed to be, Marceline. I know what it is I am expected to do, but not who I am."

"I don't think anybody really knows who they are, Alex. I mean, we all go through that at some point or another. You start to question what it is you're meant to do in life and if that's the same as what you want to do, your place in the world, and next thing you know you're up to your eyes in a mess of existential thoughts that can turn into nihilism if you don't keep them in check," Marceline said with a small smile. She could relate to how Alexis was feeling. It would be an outright lie if she tried to say that she really knew who she was. She was still searching but felt as though every day brought her a little closer to the answer.

Alexis nodded. A slight breeze picked up and the brunette shivered. Marceline decided to scoot over until their thighs touched, wrapping her arm around the woman's shoulders and pulling her close. Alexis put up no resistance and sank into her side. She was remarkably warm despite wearing shorts instead of pants and having foregone actually wearing the jacket she'd grabbed upon Lorraine's request. Marceline grabbed the nearby coat and draped it over the woman's shoulders before returning her arm to where it was. Butterflies raged in her stomach as Alexis let her head come to rest on Marceline's shoulder as best she could.

Without much thought Marceline pressed her cheek against the top of the brunette's head. She closed her eyes and tried to fight against the heat in her face, glad that Alexis was unaware of the vivid shade of red that her cheeks had probably turned. She took a slow and deep breath that didn't really help her any, her nostrils filling with a soapy smell that mingled with the crisp air and an undertone of what she could only describe as an earthy, alpine scent. For a moment she felt self-conscious about still being quite grimy, still yet to cleanse herself of the layer of sweat, dirt, and gore she'd acquired since setting off from her father's manor.

The brunette didn't seem to mind. She was completely and totally bewitched as the reds and oranges that had overtaken the sky began to darken, the very last rays of the sun shining. The peaceful smile on Alexis's face was enough to rid Marceline of any anxiety she felt. Surely if something was unpleasant about anything happening at the moment she would have said something. With an internal nod Marceline turned her eyes on the expanse before her. The worries and stress of everything around her fell away as she shared Alexis's first sunset with her, feeling as though they'd broken ground in a number of ways.

They sat in comfortable silence long after night fell until Lorraine came over the radio asking if everything was alright. If Marceline had to be honest, they were more than alright. Things were finally starting to look up.


	12. Jealousy

Bonnibel stirred as the bed shifted under the weight of someone sliding in next to her. Gentle fingers tucked hair behind her ear before trailing down her cheek, eventually coming to rest on her waist. The blonde snuggled against the warmth in her semi-consciousness. Instinctively she knew who the other person in bed with her was. It's not like she hadn't slept like this with Marceline so many times in the past. But there was something different about the woman's touch. She seemed reserved, as if she were attempting to limit the amount of physical contact. Deciding that it was still too painful to put much thought into anything thanks to the throbbing in her head Bonnibel pushed the thoughts aside and allowed herself to drift back to sleep, glad that she simply had the company of the one person she never wanted to be away from again.

Thankfully this round of sleep brought none of the terrifying nightmares that the others had. She almost feared sleep because of them. They were nightmares that she found herself unable to wake from. Logic wouldn't work in these dreams as it did with every other horrifying subconscious image that her mind had conjured forth during sleep in the past. These were dreams plagued with blackness and green fire and the chilling half-rotted figure that wanted nothing more than the obliteration of all life. No amount of rational thought could convince her that what she had seen in Lichman's study had been anything but a terrible reality that had somehow gone countless aeons hidden by darkness. Some things were better left in the shadows, Bonnibel decided. Without her realizing it morning had come.

With a yawn she rolled over, expecting to find Marceline fast asleep next to her. Instead she was met with nothing more than messed up bedding and the unforgiving trickle of sunlight dappling her face. The light hurt more than just the normal strain against her eyes after just waking. It was a more pronounced pain that seemed to leave whatever skin the sun's rays touched burning. Bonnibel refused to move due in equal parts to the lingering yet faint smell of strawberries on the pillow her face was half buried in and the knowledge that she hadn't seen the sun for days. Sure, the exposure more or less stung, but she was fine with it. She'd spent what felt like months contemplating if she was even still alive. The tingling pain, fading as it was at that point, had her more than convinced that she was indeed still among the living.

The door to the room opened and a tall, lithe figure stepped in. Bonnibel was squinting against the brightness still washing over her face from the window. She didn't need to see to know who it was. The familiar weight on the edge of the bed as her visitor sat and the generally comfortable energy they exuded was telling enough.

"Marceline," Bonnibel murmured, inching closer to the woman and curling around her.

"Hey there, nerd. You had us worried," Marceline said, her relieved smile obvious in her tone. A comforting hand stroked the blonde's hair and she leaned into it. The warmth was pleasant and the blonde found that she craved more of it.

"Sorry," came Bonnibel's weak reply. Why was she so damn drained? "Dunno what happened, but..." She paused and took a breath. "I'm glad you're okay."

"We all kind of have Alex to thank for that," Marceline breathed, almost in reverence. Bonnibel felt herself being wrapped up and moved. Her companion was now reclining on the bed, the blonde's head on her chest listening to the steady and level beating of her heart while the woman's hand rubbed a soothing line up and down her bicep.

"Alex?" Bonnibel asked after a moment, opening one eye to shoot Marceline a questioning glance.

"Yeah, y'know, the chick who has a knack for pulling our asses out of the fire?"

"Oh...Alexis..." The blonde paused. Her mind was processing things sluggishly and she was less than fond of it, though she was admittedly a bit more bothered by the familiarity Marceline and Alexis had apparently slipped into. "Since when does she go by Alex?"

"I just sort of started calling her Alex. She hasn't said anything about it, so I figure she doesn't mind. I mean, she'd say something, right?" Marceline said with a chuckle that reverberated through her chest and gave Bonnibel goosebumps. She'd been so scared that she'd never get to hear that glorious sound again when she'd been in Lichman's study and it was like music to her ears. What a relief it was to be lying in Marceline's arms, talking, hearing her laugh…There was something almost magical about it all.

"I was so scared, Marcy," Bonnibel breathed. She felt the arm around her tense, the hand on her own arm stilling for a moment before resuming its comforting rhythm.

"I'm sorry."

Marceline's voice was weighted down with regret. The blonde wrapped her arm around the woman's waist and nuzzled against her before speaking. "It's over with now. That's the important part, right? And we're safe."

"Yeah," Marceline agreed, albeit reluctantly. After a moment of tense silence the woman spoke again. "So, you feeling up to having some breakfast? Jake cooked again. It's that same weird meat paste and eggs we had last time, but it's better than nothing."

"No, I'm fine for now," Bonnibel murmured.

In truth she could have gone for as much of the emergency rations that Jake had prepared. She was hungry, only having eaten once the entire time she was in Lichman's custody. Despite the gnawing emptiness in her stomach she wasn't prepared to move just yet. Lying there in dazed half-sleep with Marceline was much more appealing. With the thought of food in her head her traitorous stomach let out a clearly audible grumble that made her insides shake.

"Uh huh...Yeah, I'm gonna grab you something." Marceline went to sit up despite Bonnibel's efforts to hold her in place. "Unless...you're feeling well enough to come out and see everyone?"

Not wanting the woman to be out of her sight made the decision obvious.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Bonnibel sighed. She sat up with a little help from Marceline, freeing herself from the blanket that was awkwardly wrapped around her.

It was then that she noticed that she was in clean clothes, a pair of her father's old sweatpants with the drawstring pulled tight so they wouldn't slip off and a faded t-shirt. A blush found its way to the blonde's cheeks at the prospect of someone – more than likely Marceline – stripping her down and helping her into fresh clothing. She felt a gentle squeeze on her fingers and her attention was pulled back to the woman who was now standing in front of her, a small smile on her face that conveyed concern.

"You good, Bonnie?"

After humming in response and nodding Bonnibel allowed Marceline to help her to her feet. They walked to the bedroom door and, as soon as it opened, slender fingers slid away from the blonde's. She sighed to herself as she slowly trudged into the living area, nearly tripping over a crate of weapons that had been placed in the middle of the room. A firm grip on her shoulders was the only thing that kept her from toppling face first into the floor.

"Are you guys serious right now? Get this shit out of the way," Marceline snarled from Bonnibel's side.

Phoebe and a sheepish Finn, who was muttering apologies, moved the guns out of the way and slid them against the far wall. With the obstruction removed Bonnibel was able to get to the couch and sank onto it next to Leslie, Marceline sitting so close to her that their legs touched and caused another rush of heat to flood her cheeks. The other blonde was eying her curiously, as if she could somehow see her thoughts. Bonnibel shifted uncomfortably and with a huff Leslie went back to idly picking at her fingernails. Jake was there in an instant, grinning from ear to ear as he handed the blonde a plate of food.

"Glad to see you up and at 'em!" the man cheerfully bellowed. Bonnibel began to shovel forkful after forkful of food into her mouth as she nodded in acknowledgment. "And with an appetite! At least one of us can stomach this stuff, huh?"

With a laugh he stepped back into the kitchen nook and went about cleaning up.

"Alexis didn't seem to have any problem with it," Lorraine remarked with the slightest hint of amusement in her voice.

"True...But she doesn't seem like the picky type, at least when it comes to food," her boyfriend remarked over his shoulder, a little louder than normal to be heard over the clattering of dishes.

"So she actually ate?" Marceline asked with a concerned edge to her voice.

"Uh...I think so," Finn said around a mouthful of egg. "I took her food down to the bunker for her."

"But did she eat it?" the black-haired woman asked, her tone harsh as she glared at Finn from her spot on the couch.

The blond man just looked at her for a moment before he opened his mouth to respond. Before he could Marceline let out a growl and was on her feet headed down the stairs into the bunker. A few moments later she reappeared with an untouched plate of food in one hand and the other wrapped firmly around the arm of an unamused and incredibly worn looking Alexis. Bonnibel almost immediately took note of the brunette's awkward gait as she limped behind her escort, her right calf wrapped up in a thick bandage. With little resistance she allowed herself to be pushed down onto the couch next to the blonde.

"Eat. Now," Marceline ordered, shoving the plate of food into Alexis's hands.

"There is work that needs to be done. I do not have time-"

"How much work are you gonna get done when you pass out? You pretty much refuse to sleep more than a couple of hours every few days so the least you could do is eat. I'm not letting you keep going until you crash and burn, dude," Marceline interrupted, her arms crossed tight across her chest and her face set in a mask of stern determination.

It was something Bonnibel was familiar with from their time living together when she would stay up, sometimes days at a time, with her nose in her textbooks. Alexis narrowed her eyes in an unspoken challenge that Marceline responded to with a glare. After letting out a sigh the brunette rolled her eyes and began to eat, a triumphant grin on the other woman's face.

"See? How hard is that?"

Bonnibel finished her meal at the same time as Alexis. Marceline grabbed both of their plates and took them to the kitchen. She returned just as the brunette stood.

"Am I allowed to return to my work now?" Alexis asked in an almost mocking tone. Marceline let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes.

"Go for it, dude. Just make sure you're sitting down and not straining your leg," she replied with a gesture towards the bandaged limb.

"You do realize that I have had worse, correct?"

"Hey, don't give me that look," Marceline said, frowning at the dismissive expression on Alexis's face.

"You do not need to worry yourself over my injuries, Marceline," Alexis sighed, her expression giving way to a small smile. "I do appreciate the consideration shown, however."

The two stood and smiled at one another for a long moment. Bonnibel wasn't sure what she saw in their eyes as they looked at one another, but whatever it was she wasn't having any of it. Something tugged in the back of her mind and told her that whatever this was needed to be interrupted. Jealousy over another person wasn't something the blonde was really an expert at dealing with. Any time she'd encountered a situation where envy had begun to take root she'd plunged into some project she was working on. As of now there wasn't anything she had to occupy herself. Or...was there?

"Speaking of injuries, how's your shoulder? Maybe I should take a look?" Bonnibel asked almost a little too eagerly. Alexis looked down at her, a small crease between her eyebrows as she gave her a barely noticeable frown.

"As I explained to Marceline, I am fine," she replied.

The brunette may have wormed her way out of dealing with Marceline's concern, but Bonnibel wasn't convinced. Gunshot wounds didn't heal in a week's time. She crossed her arms and set her face in the most stubborn and demanding scowl she could to demonstrate that she wasn't going to give in. She may have been weak from the encounter with Lichman, but if there was one thing she knew to take her mind off of it and the nagging jealousy she felt it was to find something to focus on. In this case it would be tending to injuries. If it meant separating Alexis and Marceline then that was an added bonus.

"Show me," the blonde ordered. She watched as Alexis narrowed her eyes challengingly.

After a few moments of them staring one another down the brunette stood and limped towards the bunker's entrance. Bonnibel followed, a sense of smug satisfaction filling her head. She closed the hatch behind her as she descended the stairs, the bright glow of the halogen lights above her head providing more than enough illumination. Alexis hopped onto the same exam table that had been used when the bullet was pulled from her shoulder. She slipped the black long-sleeved shirt over her head and turned her back to Bonnibel, pulling her long hair over her shoulder to expose the skin it hid.

The first thing Bonnibel noticed was a series of four jagged scratches that trailed from the woman's right shoulder to the ribs on her left side. While scabbed over the wounds had obviously been deep and significantly larger if the pinkish scar tissue around the healing injuries was any indicator. Based on how they looked they had to be at least a couple of weeks old, but if that were the case then Bonnibel would have to be a special kind of oblivious not to have noticed them.

"When did you get these?" Bonnibel asked as she traced the tips of her fingers along the dark scales of protection the brunette's body had formed to close the wounds, her hand going from ribs to shoulder.

"Yesterday at the bank," Alexis responded flatly. She sat rigid, shoulders and back tense.

It was obvious that she didn't want to be there being looked over. A little voice in the back of Bonnibel's mind said that it was probably because she'd been dragged away from Marceline. Well, too damn bad. Marceline wasn't hers anyway. But did that mean that Bonnibel was now laying some sort of claim on the other woman? After chastising herself she shook her head. She couldn't get wrapped up in that. It's not like there was any logical reason for her to be jealous anyway. They'd only known each other for a short time where Bonnibel and Marceline had been friends since high school.

"Hm. Interesting," Bonnibel breathed, doing her best to allow the analytical part of her brain take control. She turned her attention from the healing scratches to the indented disc of silver that was left in the wake of the gunshot.

The wound had fully healed, the scar looking as though Alexis had carried it for quite a while. Medical science had advanced by leaps and bounds and most injuries and diseases that were once fatal were now easily treated. Hell, there was even a cure for the common cold that had once been the bane of the existence of people across the globe for countless years. But even with the vast improvements in medicine the human body healed at its own pace. There wasn't anything in the world that could speed that up. Not yet, anyway. Without putting much thought into it Bonnibel blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I'd love to take the time to study you."

"No thank you," Alexis grumbled, head snapping to the side so she could glare over her shoulder.

"Have you always healed this fast? Have any tests ever been run on you?" Bonnibel questioned, too wrapped up in the idea of potential experiments she could perform and the possibility of an immense scientific breakthrough to stop herself. She was in full-blown brainlord mode, wanting to know everything she could about what could possibly cause someone to heal that quickly.

Alexis was obviously uncomfortable with the line of questioning Bonnibel had started down. The brunette scowled as she spoke, her voice icy. "Yes I have and yes there were. That is all I will say on the matter. I refuse to sit here and allow myself to be poked and prodded for the sake of research or science or anything else, so do us both a favor and get it out of your head now."

Bonnibel drew back, taking a half-step away from the brunette. She'd only heard her snap like that once, but that was due to an injury and Bonnibel herself had been barely conscious at the time. Now that she was paying closer attention she could see that Alexis's overall demeanor had somehow changed. She wasn't as stiff in her movements, her facial expressions looked more natural, and where her grace had only come in high-stress scenarios she now seemed to float along with ease even during something as menial as a medical examination, each movement she made almost fluid. Well, if you could overlook the tension in her shoulders that came with her ill mood. That was another thing. The woman conveyed her emotions as easily as any of the others. It was odd. So, so odd. Something had drastically changed.

"Would you at least consent to a blood test?" Bonnibel asked with a hesitant and hopeful smile. She knew the answer before it came. Alexis narrowed her eyes to sapphire slits, the corner of her mouth twitching as the woman bit back whatever it was she truly wanted to say. Instead of shouting whatever insults and harsh words that were bubbling beneath the surface she spoke a single eerily calm word.

"No."

Bonnibel decided to let it go and gave her a nod. While still obviously apprehensive towards any other interactions on the medical front Alexis sat still and allowed the blonde to continue looking over her wounds. The first one she wanted to address was the angry red split over the woman's left eyebrow.

"Have you been experiencing any dizziness or nausea?" Bonnibel asked as she strained her eyes to get a proper look at the laceration.

"None. No headache, confusion, or lack of coordination," Alexis said, her tone softer now though still carrying a hint of tension.

"Alright. Let me know if anything changes. I'm not really sure we can do anything in the event you do have a concussion, but at the very least we can cover the wound," the blonde said. She took one of the larger bandages from the first aid kit, peeling it out of its sterile packaging and placing it carefully over the injury.

Bonnibel went about checking the other two injuries the woman had suffered. The bite on Alexis's leg was healing, albeit slowly. There were minor signs of infection but it was nothing that some antibiotics wouldn't handle. Despite a brief argument Alexis downed a dose, not bothering with water for the pills. Then came the laceration on the brunette's arm where the bullet grazed her in the Humvee. Despite taking efforts to maintain at least some modesty in the form of keeping her chest as covered as she could with her uninjured arm Bonnibel still saw enough of the pale-skinned woman to make her almost sick with envy.

Of course Alexis was fit. That was evident in her performance during their escape from the facility where they first met face to face. What Bonnibel hadn't anticipated was that that she was damn near perfect. If she wasn't jealous before then she sure as hell was after her eyes glanced over the toned muscle of the brunette's stomach and what she was sure were immaculate breasts only partially hidden beneath an arm. No wonder Marceline seemed almost enthralled by Alexis. Bonnibel was sure her geneticist great uncle couldn't have done a better job engineering someone like this in one of his laboratories.

For a moment Bonnibel's thoughts went to the possibility that perhaps the pair had managed to sneak in an intimate moment prior to her rescue. She had been in isolation for three days...And three days was more than enough time for…

No. Bonnibel shook her head at the possibility and looked up to see blue eyes locked on her own, shining with a sort of grudging curiosity. The blonde pushed away her apprehensions as her face grew hot. It was plain as day that Alexis knew she was less than subtly being ogled. Where most people would have made a remark the woman remained silent. At least she wasn't going to give Bonnibel any slack for her eyes wandering. With her attention back where it needed to be, changing the actual bandage was over in moments. It was clean and was already scabbed over, just like the scratches, but it never hurt to be careful.

With her work finished Bonnibel excused herself. She lingered at the hatch and spared a glance over her shoulder to make sure that Alexis was fully clothed again. With her shirt back on, the brunette wasted no time in returning to the computer array and continuing whatever she had been working on before Marceline dragged her upstairs. Speaking of Marceline, as soon as Bonnibel opened the hatch, there the woman was. One corner of her mouth quirked up as she flashed a quick smile before leaning to peek past Bonnibel.

"Is it cool if I come down? I needed Alex to set up a secure line so I could get a call out," Marceline said, completely oblivious to the envy that her words elicited.

Bonnibel gave her a quick nod and tried to conceal her frown. As the other woman's eyebrows knitted she grew painfully aware that she had failed. All the same, the blonde brushed past Marceline before she could voice any concerns she may have had, returning to her spot on the couch in the living area. Leslie was giving Bonnibel the same look she had when she'd first come out of the bedroom to eat, an impish grin plastered on her face. For a moment she considered reaching out and smacking the smile away. She resisted, knowing that it was just Leslie's normal annoying nature coupled with her roiling emotions.

"Hey there, Bonnie. How'd everything go down there?" Finn asked with a smile. He was currently standing by the fireplace, leaning against the mantle with one arm draped lazily over it as he warmed his hands in the orange glow.

"She might have an infection in her leg, but she should be fine," Bonnibel replied flatly.

"Yeah? Seems like something else may have happened. You were down there for a while...alone..." Leslie remarked, still grinning like she was in on some inside joke. "You're sure nothing a little risque happened?"

"Leslie, how about you do us all a favor and shut the fuck up," Phoebe grumbled, lowering the footrest of the recliner so she could lean forward and shoot the pudgy blonde a venomous glare. As much as Phoebe and Bonnibel had clashed in the past, the redhead had earned herself an appreciative nod.

"Whatever, bitch," Leslie breathed. She once more turned her attention to her fingernails, ignoring the scowls directed at her from a number of different angles. Lorraine traipsed over and sat down on the couch next to Bonnibel, a small smile on her face.

"Hey, Bon. You look sort of...bothered. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just..." the blonde began, heaving a sigh. She looked into Lorraine's eyes and knew right away that the woman was well aware of the turmoil her emotions were causing. Maybe not the details, but definitely that something was going on. Bonnibel resigned herself to lying, hoping that Lorraine wouldn't push. "I'm feeling sort of out of the loop. I have no idea what happened after we were all split up."

The expression on Lorraine's face made it obvious that she didn't believe the blonde for a second. All the same she gracefully played along, knowing through their years of friendship that Bonnibel would talk to her when she was ready and not at any point before then. The others in the room chimed in here and there, each adding their own parts of the story and also some of what Marceline had been up to. Even though there were so many parts that could be seen as interesting, the one detail that stuck out in the blonde's mind was the account of Marceline beating an Oozer to death with her bare hands...over Alexis. Yet another rail of jealousy found itself laid into the track of her mind, adding to her drive to make sure that she maintained her position in Marceline's favor. If it meant confessing her love then so be it. She wasn't going to let some stranger step in and take the woman she loved for her own.

After everyone had finished filling Bonnibel in Marceline emerged from the bunker with a grin so wide that it threatened to split her face in two. She was practically bouncing as she came up the stairs, and even as she stood in the center of the room and looked around at all of the expectant faces. Before anyone could ask she went ahead and blurted out the reason.

"So, I got in touch with Simon and Alex and I are heading over to his place tomorrow so he can tell us if he knows anything about the Lich's book."

"Wait, just you two?" Bonnibel asked angrily. Marceline's smile faded into an expression of confusion.

"Uh...yeah," she began, obviously unsure of why the blonde seemed offended at the prospect. "Alex was the only one who saw what the symbols on the book looked like, so she sort of has to go. And she doesn't know the way to Simon's place which means that I'm kind of the navigator."

"Couldn't you just give her the directions or something? I mean, splitting up again seems like a really stupid idea," Bonnibel said, more tension in her voice than she'd intended. What she really wanted to say was that she didn't want Marceline going anywhere, let alone if it was with Alexis. "Or maybe I could come with you. If it's only the two of you, what if something happens? What if the Lich's drones ambush you or something?"

"That's exactly why we're going together. If something happens then at least the rest of you are here and can come looking for us. Simon knows how to get in touch if we don't meet up with him, and when we get there we'll call and let you know nothing happened. Bonnie...I promise that nothing is going to happen. And you know how much I love Simon. I feel terrible that I haven't made more of an effort to see him since moving out. So, I'm going."

Bonnibel was out of adequate reasons to argue. She could feel the eyes of her friends burning into her, all of them wondering why she seemed so vehemently against progression in finding a way to stop Lichman. After a moment she heaved a sigh and did her best to feign acceptance despite every instinct she had screaming at her to stand up and shout if she needed to, to scream to Marceline that the reason that she shouldn't and couldn't go was because Alexis clearly had some sort of attraction to her and it wasn't right because Bonnibel herself was supposed to be the only one. All the same she remained silent.

The rest of the day proceeded without anything of interest occurring. Bonnibel stayed in her seat, dozing for maybe an hour at a time between bursts of conversation. Her friends were curios about what she'd endured during her captivity and seemed less than impressed that she didn't have a more exciting story to tell other than that she'd been kept in isolation, only being taken to Lichman just before they had come to her rescue. Alexis kept herself occupied in the bunker. The blonde wouldn't complain. As long as Marceline was there with her instead of with the brunette that's all that mattered, at least in the immediate future.

Once night had fallen and everyone had begun to feel the grip of sleep pulling at them they all began to yawn. After a bit Jake and Lorraine excused themselves to the bedroom upstairs. Finn sprawled out in a sleeping bag in the living area keeping close to the warmth of the fireplace, Phoebe not far from him in the recliner already dozing. Leslie curled up on the couch wrapped up in a duvet and muttered something to herself, probably involving Finn's proximity to the redhead. Bonnibel headed to the downstairs bedroom, Marceline helping her along.

The blonde was rather surprised when the other woman slid into the bed with her and wrapped her up. She was happy nonetheless. If Marceline was there then maybe she would be able to conjure the mental fortitude to finally explain her feelings. After what felt like hours she still didn't manage it. Instead she spoke the thoughts that were currently at the forefront of her mind. Sure, the paranoia of the woman's relationship with Alexis was still there, but more than anything she was afraid of losing her to something worse than the arms of another woman.

"Hey, Marcy?"

"Mm, yeah?" Marceline responded. It was obvious that she had been on the threshold of sleep.

"You..." Bonnibel paused, thinking carefully about each word before she continued. "You'll come back, right?"

The bed beneath her shifted as the arm that held her tight slackened and a hand moved to her hip.

"Of course," Marceline stated, almost sounding offended at the idea that she may not come back. "What would make you think otherwise?"

"I dunno. I just...You mean a lot to me, y'know?" Bonnibel breathed, turning over to face Marceline and bury her face into her unbelievably soft hair while pulling her close. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Marceline."

Bonnibel felt the woman who held all of her love wrap her up in a tight embrace, a hand running through her hair before coming to rest on the back of her head.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'll always be here for you, Bonnie," Marceline breathed. After a kiss placed to the top of Bonnibel's head she continued, her voice just above a whisper. "No matter what, I'm here for you."

With that the blonde fell silent and drifted of to sleep, dreams filled with fantasies of a life where she and Marceline were happily together. It was the first time she'd fallen asleep with a smile on her face in as long as she could remember. She hoped it wouldn't be the last.


	13. The Cottage

Marceline was glad when morning finally came. She hadn't slept that night and it left her feeling more than a little hypocritical about bringing up sleep to Alexis the day before. There was nothing she could do about it now, though. The sound of her friends stirring in the living area prompted her to get out of bed. She managed to slip from under the blankets without waking Bonnibel, who was snoring lightly. A smile found its way to Marceline's face as the blonde rolled over and grabbed the pillow she had been using, hugging it tight as she settled.

After she changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, both of which fit surprisingly well, Marceline stepped into the living area. The others were still in the process of trying to wake themselves up. Jake was doing his part to help them in the form of brewing a pot of much needed coffee. Despite the lack of any real sleep, and therefor the absence of her standard grouchiness in the morning, Marceline was more than eager to pour herself some once it was finished. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be thankful she had. She walked over to where Alexis was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a box of handgun ammunition and a few empty clips and took a seat next to her on the cold wood.

"You think we'll need those?" Marceline asked, gesturing to the magazine that the brunette was currently sliding bullets into.

"It never hurts to err on the side of caution," Alexis said. She looked up from her work to give Marceline a quick smile before turning her eyes back down. "I would prefer to have them and not need them as opposed to needing them and not having them."

"Can't argue with that," Marceline said with a grin. She sat quietly and watched as the brunette continued. Every now and again her blue eyes would flit up and her lips would quirk into a crooked smile, sending a rush of heat to Marceline's face. The expression had seemed like something the woman was incapable of at first, but now that they'd spent some time together it came easily to her. And Alexis looked amazing when a smile graced her face. Marceline doubted that she'd ever get tired of seeing it.

Once coffee had been passed out and Marceline gulped down three mugs of it they said their goodbyes. As much as she wanted to reassure Bonnibel that they would come back in one piece, the blonde was still sleeping soundly. Marceline couldn't bring herself to wake her. On the way out of the cabin Alexis stopped and handed a rather clunky looking cellphone to Lorraine, explaining that she'd spent the better part of the night rigging it to assure that the signal was untraceable. After repeated promises to call them as soon as they got to Simon's the pair stepped outside and closed the door behind them.

Marceline started towards the Humvee, more than a little confused when Alexis went around the side of the cabin instead. When she stepped back into view she was pushing a sleek motorcycle, sunlight shining on the orange and black paint of the body. It made sense that the woman had some other means of transportation hidden away. Alexis was nothing if not thorough when it came to planning. All the same, a motorcycle seemed like something that would pose an unnecessary risk. It definitely wasn't the type of vehicle Marceline saw the brunette favoring.

"You didn't strike me as the sort to ride a bike. Isn't this a little dangerous?" Marceline asked with an anxious chuckle. Alexis shrugged before pulling one of the helmets on and handing the other one over before swinging one leg over the seat of the bike.

"You do not strike me as the sort to turn down a bit of danger," the brunette remarked, her eyes shining with the smirk concealed by the protective covering she wore.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Perhaps."

Marceline thrust her own helmet on, a grin on her face as she shot a challenging look at Alexis before climbing onto the vehicle behind the brunette.

"Consider it accepted."

Without another word Alexis kicked down and the bike jumped to life, the engine rumbling and causing the entire body of the vehicle to tremble. Marceline felt her heart jump, a shot of adrenaline hitting her system as she instinctively wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist. Alexis picked her feet up and rested them on the supports just as the bike began to move.

"Y-you're not gonna drop me or anything, right!?" Marceline asked, more fear evident in her voice than she had intended.

"No, I will not drop you. Just hold on tight and everything will be fine," Alexis said, her voice coming through speakers that had been built into the helmet.

Marceline did as she was instructed, locking her hand on her wrist with both arms around the other woman as they started down the dirt road. Thankfully Alexis didn't go that fast, no doubt taking Marceline's apprehension into consideration. It wasn't until they hit the highway that the woman cranked the accelerator and sent the bike rocketing down the roadway, prompting a surprised squeak from Marceline.

"Aren't you going a little fast?" she asked, more than a little aware of the fact that the segmented stripes on the road were going by so quickly that they almost blurred together.

"I assure you that we are currently moving at the rate of speed that is designated legal by the authorities. Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, but I'm starting to wonder about how smart that is," Marceline replied through clenched teeth.

"Keep your legs tight against the bike. Don't worry, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," Alexis said with what was almost a laugh.

Marceline did just that, a gasp escaping her lips as they began to weave between the other vehicles on the roadway, her eyes jammed shut as she tried to ignore the rush of air caused by the other cars as they came close. She took deep breaths (as deep as she could manage, anyway) in an attempt to keep herself calm. As a rule she was generally wary of motorcycles. Never in a million years did she ever think she would find herself on the back of one.

After a while Marceline worked up the courage to open her eyes thanks in large part to the feeling of tight muscle beneath her arms. Every slight movement Alexis made was was sure, no hesitation. If there had been any then Marceline would have felt it with how tight her arms were coiled around the brunette. In truth the entire experience was exhilarating in the same way she was sure other potentially deadly activities were. For the first time she felt herself understanding (at least to some extent) why people did crazy things like this or skydiving or bungee jumping.

It didn't take Marceline long to grow more comfortable on the vehicle. With the way the wind whipped and surged around them it almost felt like...flying. She wasn't quite brave enough to slacken her grip on the brunette, but she could close her eyes, not our of fear but to imagine that she was soaring high above the ground. In her mind she skirted the clouds, the biggest smile on her face that she'd had in the longest time.

The drive to Simon's small house from the cabin was the most fun that Marceline had in a while. By the time they pulled up to Simon's front gate she decided that she would have to consider getting a motorcycle of her own, if only to experience that rush again when and if the urge took her. Though she'd need to make sure that she got the proper clothing. Riding a motorcycle in December without a jacket exposed her to a new kind of cold that she wasn't fond of. Somehow Alexis seemed unperturbed. Then again it made sense in a way, the immense hear from her body pushing in waves through the back of her shirt and offering at least some warmth to Marceline.

With a wide smile Marceline climbed off of the bike, her knees weak and legs a bit shaky, and removed her helmet. Simon's place wasn't much, just a rustic cottage on the outskirts of the city with some dead-looking flower bushes that he tended to through spring and summer. Not quite in what would be considered the countryside, but far enough from the city to avoid most of what came with city living, namely the constant din of the hustle and bustle that seemed more like ambient noise to anyone who had lived there for a while. Simon, no doubt alarmed by the noise from the motorcycle's approach, opened his door with mingling confusion and apprehension on his face. That gave way to a toothy grin as he spotted Marceline.

"Simon!" the woman shouted, running forward and throwing her arms around the man's neck. "It's great to see you again! And this time under better circumstances! Er...kinda."

"Yes, it's lovely to see you too, dear. But, uh...You came here...on that?" Simon asked, pulling away and pointing a finger at the motorcycle just as Alexis disengaged the engine and removed her own helmet, gripping it in her left hand and walking over.

"Yeah. Heh...Don't worry, though. Alex is a crazy good driver," Marceline assured with with a nervous chuckle. She looked over to see the brunette standing next to her, a smile on the woman's face that was directed at Simon.

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Petrikov. Marceline speaks very highly of you," Alexis said, holding her hand out towards the white-haired man. Simon grasped the woman's hand and gave it a firm shake, a wary smile on his lined face.

"Yes, a pleasure. So, you're the young lady that came to my little Marcy's rescue, hm?" he asked with one eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

"Yes, sir. Though I am uncertain that I came to her rescue seeing how she has been dragged into this nasty business with Lichman. For that, I apologize," Alexis grimly replied. Simon let out one of his patented fatherly chuckles, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"You've got nothing to apologize for. I'm sure she would have found a way to get involved either way," Simon said with a grin directed at his goddaughter. "She's bullheaded to a fault. Once she decides on something there's no swaying her, and despite that rough front she likes to put up she's one of the most kindhearted people I've had the pleasure of knowing. She's been that way since she was a little girl."

"Simoooon!" Marceline groaned as she rolled her eyes, embarrassed. She turned him around and gave him a gentle push towards the door. "We've got work to do, y'know. So can we please stop talking about me? I mean, it's cute that you two are trying to bond or whatever, but...like...No." She paused in the doorway after Simon stepped inside, noticing that Alexis was hanging back. "You coming?"

"In just a moment. I need to call the others and let them know that we have arrived."

"Oh. Right."

Marceline went into the small house and found her way back to Simon's office. Not that it took any real searching. She'd been there more than a few times throughout her life and knew the place about as well as her father's home. A smile graced her lips as she took in all of the familiar sights, trinkets that her godfather had collected over the years, artifacts from lost civilizations in display cases, and an extensive array of photographs, most of them of Marceline during various points in her life. She found Simon in his study, sitting at his desk with his hands folded in front of him and a grin on his wrinkled face.

"So..." he said expectantly.

"So…?" Marceline asked as she sat down in one of the plush chairs on the opposite side of the desk, her eyes flitting around to the stacks of books, many of which were worn and faded from time, before she raised an eyebrow to Simon.

"How long have you two been an item?" he asked with an impish grin. Marceline's jaw hit the floor. She began to sputter, trying everything she could to get her mouth to catch up with her racing thoughts. Finally, after what felt like hours of floundering around partially formed words, she was able to speak clearly.

"We're not! What would even make you think something like that, Simon!?"

The old man sat at his desk, eyes still twinkling as he twirled his beard in his fingers. "It's plain as day, Marceline," he began with a chuckle. "You've only ever been embarrassed like you were outside around someone that you've taken a particular liking to. And I saw the way you two were looking at each other." Simon gave her a toothy grin. "You might be able to fool most people, but you can't fool me, dear."

"I'm telling you, we're not together...Now can we please stop talking about this? She's gonna come in any moment now and I really don't want to have to explain this conversation to her..."

"Explain what conversation?" Alexis asked from the doorway giving Marceline a jolt that caused her to jump in her chair as she whirled around and looked up into her bright blue eyes.

"N-nothing! We were just talking about...Uh..." Marceline let her voice trail off, mind failing to find any reasonable cover for what she and Simon had been discussing. Thankfully the aging man had her back, a casual smile playing across his lips.

"Just trying to delve into Marceline's personal life like the nosy old man I am," he chuckled. Marceline rolled her eyes and tried to cover the fierce blush she was wearing by burying her face in her hands. Way to play it cool, Simon. He cleared his throat and began to pull out a series of dusty books, flipping to pages with varying styles of odd looking symbols on them and pushing them forward. "Anyway, on to business, hm? You said the cover had runes on it?" Simon asked, eyes narrowed slightly behind his circular glasses.

"Yes sir," Alexis said with a small nod. She placed her finger on one of the books. "This is what we are looking for."

Simon stopped digging around and furrowed his brow as he looked at the brunette. "You're sure? Some of the designs are rather similar. Perhaps you should see the other examples I have to show you?"

"There is no need. This is the script that was on Lichman's book," Alexis said. For all of her certainty Simon's skepticism was greater.

"Trust her, Simon. If she says that's what she saw, then that's what she saw," Marceline reassured him, flashing a sincere smile.

With a hum the man reached towards the book and turned it around so he could read over a few lines of the text within, chewing his lip as he did. After a moment he looked up with worry written across his wrinkled features. It wasn't an expression that Marceline was accustomed to the man showing. It made her more than a little nervous.

"If everything you have told me is accurate, then the book is written in Elder Futhark and...well...I'm afraid that this is very troubling news."

"What is it? Simon, tell us. If we're going to stop this guy we need all of the information we can get," Marceline pressed. Simon nodded and swallowed hard.

"From what you said about Lichman's abilities and the runes on the book, all signs point to it being a tome called the Enchiridion," the aged man breathed, slumping into his chair. He removed his glasses and gestured to the remaining chair on the opposite side of his antique desk before rubbing his eyes. Alexis sat down and settled herself, crossing her legs and lacing her fingers in front of her. "It's popped up a few times in recorded history, usually before a devastating plague, most notably The Black Death. As I'm sure you both know, the casualties of that one incident were estimated to be between seventy five and two-hundred million people."

"The Enchiridion is widely believed to be nothing more than a fable started by people who didn't fully understand the world they lived in and were willing to attribute great plagues as some sort of supernatural disaster or the act of an angry God or dark magic. All the same, that didn't stop people from bringing it up, sometimes with gaps of hundreds of years between its name being mentioned. Unfortunately, that's about all I know."

"Are you sure, Simon?" Marceline asked almost desperately.

"I collect artifacts, my dear. I don't chase dragons. In this case, I feel it merits some research. I can't promise you that I'll have any answers for you tonight, but...Perhaps tomorrow," Simon said with a reassuring smile. "You ladies feel free to help yourselves to anything in the house. I'm going to get a jump on digging up some information on the Enchiridion that has substance and hopefully give you girls the ammunition you need to stop that madman."

With that, the women stood, Alexis giving Simon a slight bow as she said "Thank you, Mr. Petrikov. Your work does not go unappreciated."

"Please, dear, just Simon."

After the brunette gave him a nod they left his study so the man could work in peace. Marceline heaved a sigh and flopped onto the couch, rubbing her face with her hands. She peeked through her fingers as Alexis settled into Simon's armchair and began to drum her fingers on her thigh as she stared off pensively.

"What's up, buttercup?" Marceline asked, letting out a loud breath as she sat up. Alexis raised an eyebrow at her and smirked.

"I was merely thinking about how much time it may take for Simon to find detailed information about this...Enchiridion..." she explained. After a moment she tilted her head to the side and let out a chuckle. "Buttercup? Really?"

"What? It's a thing people say!" Marceline said defensively. All the same, she couldn't help but grin when Alexis rolled her eyes. The brunette pulled out the clunky modified cellphone and tapped out a number before handing it over to Marceline. She took it and shot the woman a questioning look.

"It may be wise to contact the others and let them know that we may not be back for some time, possibly even a day or two..." Alexis said, her voice trailing off. Her expression soured slightly before she continued. "And Bonnibel wished to speak with you when I spoke to them earlier."

"Oh. Uh...Okay..." Marceline said softly. She let out a sigh, knowing that Bonnibel was probably furious with her for not hanging around until she'd woken up to say goodbye. She pressed the icon on the face of the phone to start the call and lifted the device to her ear. It was answered on the first ring.

"Hello!?" Bonnibel half-shouted into the phone, causing Marceline to wince as she held the cell away from her ear for a moment.

"You trying to make me go deaf, Bonnie?" she asked with a nervous laugh, hoping that the blonde wouldn't be too terribly pissed.

"Sorry. I, uh...I was worried that maybe something happened," Bonnibel said in a normal speaking voice (tense as it still was). After a short pause she spoke again with a hint of panic. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened. Alex and I are at Simon's waiting for him to dig up some info for us so we can head back. It might take some time, though. Maybe a day or two," Marceline explained. She could practically hear the blonde rolling her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. It came as a bit of a surprise when instead of her normal snappy tone Bonnibel spoke almost pleadingly.

"Couldn't you guys come back and wait for Simon to call or something?"

"That's probably not the best idea, Bon. I mean, we'd be taking an unnecessary risk going back and forth like that since Alex drove us here on a motorcycle, so-"

"She WHAT!? Is she crazy!? Those things are rolling death machines! UGH! I can't believe that-" Bonnibel shouted on the other end of the call again, going into a full rant that Marceline was honestly uninterested in. She held the phone away from her ear once more and pressed the mute button while the blonde continued her tirade, loud enough to be heard but not to where her words made sense. Alexis furrowed her brow, silently asking for an explanation.

"She's steamed you drove us here on a bike," Marceline said with a slight roll of her eyes. She didn't really care all that much about the danger it had put them in. It had been far too fun and she'd adjusted quick enough. Besides, it's not like Alexis would have let anything happen. If there was one person Marceline had the utmost confidence in as far as safety was concerned, it was the brunette. She'd proven time and time again that she would allow herself to sustain injuries if it meant that the others walked away unscathed, and she was damn good at it.

"Oh," Alexis remarked, her eyebrows shooting up for a second before an amused smirk graced her features. The two women shared a quiet laugh, cutting themselves off just before Marceline pressed the mute button again and put the phone back to her ear.

"-and are you even listening to me right now!?" Bonnibel finished with a huff.

"Yeah, no, Bon. I totally get it. It was a seriously irresponsible thing for her to do and I promise that I will let her know that stuff like that just won't fly," Marceline casually lied, only a slight pang of guilt hitting her. That was forgotten as she gave Alexis a quick wink and the woman's face lit up as she grinned from ear to ear.

"Well...Okay. Just...be safe, alright? And let us know when Simon's found something," the blonde sighed, sounding more tired than she had when she answered.

"We will. I promised you I'd come back, right?"

"Yeah. I just worry, you know?" Bonnibel breathed, her tone much softer than it had been through the entirety of the call. Honestly, it made Marceline's heart swell a bit.

"Yeah, I know. You guys take it easy over there. Let us know if anything comes up," Marceline said with a small smile. After a hum of acknowledgment from the other end of the call she hung up, tossing the phone back to Alexis. "Well, that went better than I expected. Sorry for outing you about the bike, though. I dropped the ball on that one."

"It is fine. I am sure that she will get over it," the brunette chuckled.

"Oh man, you obviously don't know jack about Bonnie. She can hold a grudge like nobody else."

After a few more hours of idle conversation Simon eventually emerged from the study. He prepared a decent lunch for them and once more Marceline had to practically mother Alexis into eating. It wasn't that she enjoyed it (though she had to admit that it was an interesting change of pace to be the one between the two of them who took charge) but she honestly worried for the woman. She hardly slept, barely ate...It was weird that she could feel a sort of tension between Alexis and Bonnie when, in more than a few ways, they seemed rather similar. Perhaps that's why there was friction, she guessed.

After their light meal Simon retreated to his books, muttering under his breath about how he'd spent his life stumbling across details about the damned Enchiridion and now that he actually needed them they seemed nowhere to be found. Alexis and Marceline remained in the living area, the television on and set to a news channel. Nothing interesting had happened outside of what they already knew of. The incident at the bank had actually been reported on, leaving the women with smug smiles on their faces. Apparently authorities were searching for arsonists who attempted to burn the building down. Oh, if they only knew.

Not long after night fell Simon prepared another meal for them. They ate and chatted idly. Well, Simon and Marceline did. Alexis sat and ate without a fuss this time though she wasn't really involved in the conversation. There was a nagging feeling in the back of Marceline's mind that the brunette probably felt rather out of place, or even worse that she wasn't getting on all that well with Simon for whatever reason. Because of that she pushed herself to stay up as late as she possibly could. It turned out to not be that late at all, and before midnight hit Marceline had made her way into the guest bedroom that she'd spent a number of nights in during her time growing up, curled up in bed and dozing. Anxiety made it near impossible for her to fully drift off, however.

Marceline woke from her half-sleep to the sound of muffled voices coming from the living room. Curiosity got the better of her and she slipped out of bed, opening the door and sneaking down the hallway. She took slow breaths, not wanting to miss any more of the conversation she had to. Another worry was being caught. She was unsure how Alexis would handle being eavesdropped on, but there would be a lengthy lecture from Simon in the event that her presence was discovered. Surely their conversation didn't entail anything bad, but Simon already suspected that there was something going on between Marceline and the brunette – which there absolutely was not – and if he were to say anything then she was worried she might literally die of embarrassment.

"-and she's every bit her mother's daughter. She'd have been proud of Marceline," Simon said, fondly. Marceline carefully peeked into the room in time to see her godfather hand over a picture in a worn silver frame. Though she was too far to see the photograph itself she already knew which one it was.

"Her mother must have been a remarkable woman, then. I am going to assume that this is her," Alexis said softly as she pointed at one of the people in the photograph. Simon nodded in response, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Yes. This is the last picture we took as a family."

"I was unaware that you were family."

"Well, biologically we're not," Simon said. Alexis handed the picture back and he placed it on the mantle in its rightful spot, a melancholic smile on his weary face. As he continued his eyes remained on the smiling faces in the photograph. "My late wife Betty and Marceline's mother were childhood friends. When the Abadeers found out that they were expecting Betty and I were promptly asked to become godparents."

"I see. I was aware that Marceline's mother passed away, but I am sorry to hear about your wife," Alexis said solemnly. Simon nodded and heaved a sigh.

"Yes, well...After these years the ache has become easier to manage. I'll never stop missing my Betty, though. Same as how Marceline won't ever stop missing her mother," the man breathed. He removed his glasses and began to wipe the lenses with a cloth he pulled from his pocket. With a sniffle he returned them to the perch on his nose, eyes flitting to the brunette. "Surely you don't want to watch an old man cry over the dead. I know I wouldn't like to go down that road, as much as I do love talking about Betty and the past. I'd be rather interested to hear about your family, however."

Alexis visibly stiffened, what little bit of color she had in her pale face draining from her as she swallowed hard. After a moment she spoke, her subdued voice just above a whisper.

"I do not have any family."

"Oh," Simon breathed, his mouth maintaining the shape of the word as his face slackened, eyes filled with renewed sadness. He reached out to place a hand on the woman's shoulder but it didn't quite connect. He drew back and stepped out of the room, returning a short time later with a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses, taking a seat in his favorite chair and pouring out a fair amount of the deep red liquid for the both of them. After handing Alexis her glass he raised his own in a toast. "To the memory of loved ones lost...and to the ones still with us. May nothing sever the ties that bind us."

Marceline was already on her way back to the spare bedroom when the glasses were brought together with a clink. She sighed into the darkened hallway and fought her tears until after she'd slipped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, taking care to do so without making any sound. After curling up on the bed she began to let out silent sobs. Any time Simon spoke about his wife and her mother it conjured memories of the way life had been before the accident that claimed them both and of the accident itself. It was so painful to remember that Marceline made an active effort to ignore them except for the rare instance that she was alone and unable to keep her mind from wandering to the past. With her mother's face fresh in her mind she cried herself to sleep, not even bothering to slip beneath the blankets.

Some time later Marceline awoke to the sensation of being moved. She opened her eyes just as Alexis draped the duvet over her. The brunette gave her a lopsided smile and wavered ever so slightly, teetering to the side a bit.

"Didn't mean t' wake ya," she slurred, letting out the slightest giggle.

"Alex," Marceline rasped, her voice thick with sleep. She rubbed at her eyes and waited for them to focus before she continued. "Are you drunk?"

"M' blood alcohol concentration is...um..." The brunette screwed up her face and raked her teeth over her bottom lip as she glared down at her feet in thought. After a moment she looked up and continued. "'F I had t' guess I'd say 'round point one two five? So, yeah, 'm a lil' drunk," Alexis announced with a goofy grin. Marceline let out an exasperated sigh and the other woman's grin morphed into an expression of guilt and worry. "Oh no, yer mad at me..."

"I'm not mad at you, Alex. Just..." Marceline let out another sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Have you had any water?"

Alexis bobbed her head up and down, staggering and nearly falling over from the force of the movement. Marceline reached up and grabbed her by the arms before she could topple over, guiding her into a seated position on the edge of the bed. The last thing she needed was for Alexis to hurt herself. After pushing the blankets aside Marceline was on her feet, the empty glass from the bedside table in her hand. She shuffled off into the bathroom, filled the glass, and returned.

"I know you said you've already had water, but drink this anyway. I'm gonna have a long talk with Simon about this in the morning," she grumbled as she pushed the glass of water into the brunette's hands. Alexis drained the glass and let out a loud breath as she handed the empty cup back to Marceline. Once it was returned to the bedside table she eased the brunette back onto the bed and helped her to get situated.

"Don't be mad at 'im, Marce. He was jus' bein' nice," Alexis said in an almost childlike manner. She sounded so small and unsure of herself. And the puppy dog eyes weren't doing anything to help keep Marceline at a reasonable level of upset at the fact that they'd come there for help and Simon ended up getting Alexis drunk the first night.

Not wanting to make any promises she couldn't keep, Marceline opted to easing Alexis back on the bed and tucking her in. "Just get some sleep, alright?"

"M'kay," the brunette mumbled, shifting around in the bed. Marceline started towards the door with the intent of sleeping on the couch. A hand wrapping around her own stopped her and she turned around to see Alexis giving her a look of confusion mixed with the slightest hint of fear. "Yer not goin', are ya?"

"I...I guess not," Marceline breathed with a reassuring smile. Alexis met the smile with what was apparently her signature drunk grin, one side of her mouth curling up and her eyes sparkling in the little bit of moonlight filtering through the window.

With a sigh Marceline slid into bed next to her, letting out the slightest of gasps as the brunette wrapped her arms tight around her waist and clung to her like a lifeline. Alexis, usually so controlled and withdrawn, was nuzzling her shoulder like some kind of overgrown kitten...And Marceline was enjoying it. With every brush of warm breath against her skin she felt her face burn that much more, glad that she was facing away from Alexis for fear that her unnatural sight would allow her to see the red staining her cheeks.

Marceline waited until she felt the brunette's breathing slow. Sure the woman was asleep, she rolled over in her arms and found herself holding her breath as she lay with their noses only inches apart, bright blue eyes locked on her own. The brunette grinned again, though much more contained as her eyelids hung ever so slightly.

"Anyone ev'r told you yer really pretty? Like...really pretty..." Alexis breathed. Marceline's eyes widened considerably as her heart stuttered.

"Um...thanks?" she whispered in response, completely unsure of where this was heading.

As they lay staring at one another she took in every detail of the woman's face. Despite the almost invisible bruises and the thin silvery scar on her lip she was breathtaking. This close Marceline noticed that her Alexis's eyes weren't entirely blue. There were flecks of gray that dotted her irises, and the left eye had an almost geometric pattern that she could barely see. Another wave of heat passed through Marceline as a singular thought shot through her mind. She moved forward ever so slightly. The only thing that cut her off was Alexis speaking again.

"Sorry I woke you up, Marcy. I'm a jerk."

"You're not a jerk, Alex. You're just drunk," Marceline sighed, thankful that she'd managed to get control of her self before she did that of all things. How well would it fly over if anyone found out that she'd stayed one night away from the group with Alexis and they'd ended up making out? Oh, the others would kill her for sure. Especially Lorraine, who had spent literal years doing everything she could to try and get Marceline to come to grips with how she felt about Bonnie and just fucking tell her how she felt. But if there was one thing Marceline was good at, it was suppressing her emotions.

With an exasperated sigh Marceline rolled back over and muttered a simple "Now go to sleep, ya donk." She pressed her eyes shut, not risking a repeat of the precarious situation she'd barely made it through moments before. It wasn't until she heard an abrupt and rather loud snore from behind her that she was actually able to fall asleep. Why in the hell was love so confusing?


	14. Legends

When Marceline awoke the next morning it was to the smell of bacon and eggs. Actual bacon and eggs. For once she was more than eager to drag herself out of bed and face the day. She only barely registered that Alexis was already out of the room, no doubt with a hangover. As Marceline padded down the hallway laughter met her ears. She'd been expecting that about as much as she had expected to see Simon and Alexis seated at the small dining table in the breakfast nook chatting like old friends, which admittedly wasn't very much. Apparently their little 'bonding moment' the previous night had them feeling remarkably more comfortable around each other. As Marceline came into view she was met with nothing but smiles from the pair.

"Ah, look who's up and awake! And before nine, no less. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Simon teased, causing a chuckle from the brunette seated next to him.

"Good morning, Marceline," Alexis said around a mouthful of food. That took a second to register with Marceline. She nearly overfilled her coffee mug as she stared in a state of shock.

"Alex, how are you even up this early? Or eating? What, is your liver made of iron or something?" Marceline asked as she trudged to the table and sat in the vacant chair waiting for her. Simon stood and went into the kitchen. The sound of clinking and shuffling announced that he was no doubt preparing a plate of food for Marceline.

"I assure you that my liver is not made of iron. It is just incredibly efficient," Alexis announced with a somewhat proud smile before she took a drink from her own mug of coffee. Marceline narrowed her eyes at the brunette, more than a little envious. If she'd been that drunk then there was no doubt that she wouldn't be lucky enough to avoid a hangover the next day.

Simon flitted by the table and set Marceline's plate of scrambled eggs and bacon down in front of her. She inhaled deeply, letting out a borderline inappropriate groan as her mouth watered while she breathed out. After looking up she could see Simon and Alexis looking at her as if she'd grown a second head, the brunette's cheeks tinged red.

"What? This is the first real breakfast I've had in...two weeks?" Marceline said without the slightest bit of shame from the almost sexual sounds that had escaped her a moment before. "Don't judge me."

Alexis turned her eyes to the tabletop and took another drink of coffee as Simon said "We're not judging you, dear. Just...glad that you're enjoying your meal." He scooped up his empty plate and deposited it in the sink. "I'm going to get back to the research. Let me know if you ladies need anything."

With that Simon walked out of the kitchen and into his study again. Marceline went about practically inhaling her breakfast and chugging down as much coffee as she could manage, casting the occasional glance at the other woman sitting at the table. For a moment she considered bringing up what had happened the previous night. Her skin tingled with the phantom sensation of the brunette's arms around her as they lay facing each other, so close that she easily could have leaned forward and-

"I would like to apologize for my behavior last night," Alexis said, interrupting the train of thought that had Marceline's face burning. "I have never had anything to drink and I fear I may have overindulged."

"May have? You were sloshed, dude," Marceline chuckled. She was glad that Alexis was the one to bring it up. She very well may have choked on her food after making some odd comment if she would have tried to do it herself. The brunette shifted in her seat and gave a nod, averting her eyes and blushing.

"I am sorry if I made things awkward."

"You didn't make anything awkward, Alex," Marceline sighed. And she hadn't. Sure, it had been unexpected, but if she could describe it as anything Marceline would have said that it was tense. Did sexually tense situations count as awkward? Marceline wasn't sure so she decided to stand firmly by her statement. No, it hadn't been awkward.

Alexis looked at her for a long while, the expression on her face an obvious sign that she was searching for any hint of untruthfulness. Without either of them bringing up the topic again they finished breakfast and went about cleaning the kitchen. Despite Simon's cries of protest from his study they both insisted that it was the least they could do since he insisted on cooking every meal. It also helped Marceline feel like there was some semblance of normalcy in her life. Even if it was only for a little while, it was nice to pretend that things weren't completely and totally crazy.

With the kitchen cleaned and Simon still no closer to figuring out details about the Enchiridion both woman went into the living room. They sat on opposite ends of the couch. As Marceline reached for the television remote on the coffee table the screen jumped to life. She shot Alexis a confused expression to which the brunette replied with a sly smirk.

"How did you do that?" Marceline chuckled, rather impressed. Alexis shrugged and began to pick at her fingernails. It seemed that as close as they were getting the brunette was still more than a little mysterious. Marceline's mind went back to the conversation she'd had about the woman with Keila.

"The thing is that she's a complete mystery, dude..."

"If you ask me, that just makes her hotter."

Marceline stood by the statement she'd made to her friend. She could definitely see the appeal.

"You and the others are not the only ones with a few tricks up their sleeves," Alexis said with a smile, pulling Marceline out of her memories.

"Whatever, dude."

After a dramatic roll of her eyes she decided to let it go for the time being. Holding in her curiosity was never one of Marceline's strong points and she knew that eventually she would give in and ask all of the questions she had about the brunette that felt like they were burning holes in her brain. Well, maybe not all of them. Unless Marceline somehow overcame her terrible habit of refusing to talk about her emotions then there were at least one or two questions that would stay bottled up. That was a worry for a later time, though. For now she was content to sit with Alexis and watch television while they waited for Simon.

Marceline was trying and failing to focus on the television. Some cartoon was playing, one that she thoroughly enjoyed that followed the adventures of a boy and his magical dog companion as they went about saving princesses and getting caught up in all manner of silly situations, but she kept getting distracted by Alexis. The woman would let out a chuckle or snort as she watched. Every reaction pulled Marceline's attention to her. To see the brunette relaxing for a change, watching cartoons, had Marceline grinning.

"You're secretly a big dork, aren't you?" Marceline asked, shifting her position so she could give Alexis's thigh a playful shove with her foot. "Even though you're all badass and tough, here you are watching cartoons like an overgrown kid."

"I have no idea what you mean," Alexis said in a tone of feigned innocence, grabbing Marceline's foot and tugging her down on the couch.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Your secret's safe with me. Promise," Marceline remarked. She flashed her best smile and winked at the brunette whose hand was now resting on her ankle.

After a bit of adjustment Marceline was laying on the couch, her legs bravely draped across Alexis. Neither of them seemed to mind. After a few moments Alexis began to massage the feet in her lap. Again, Marceline was not going to complain. She merely sat there and allowed the ministrations to her aching feet while the television played in the background. It wasn't long before curiosity began to nag at her, demanding that she ask something about the previous night.

"So you and Simon were up talking for a while, huh?"

"Hm? Oh. Yes, we did stay up quite late," Alexis replied with a small smile. Marceline pushed herself up on her elbows to get a better look at the brunette.

"What did you talk about?" she asked, doing her best to conceal her anxiety.

"Not all that much. Most of our time was spent discussing the events of the past two weeks," Alexis remarked. "We did talk a bit about ourselves, though he did most of the talking."

Marceline couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, that sounds like Simon."

After a few moments of silence Alexis spoke again, her tone cautious. "He also told me a little about his wife..." She hesitated before continuing. "...and your mother..."

"Oh...H-how much did he tell you?" Marceline asked, eyebrows knitted.

"Not that much, really. Just that they...Um..." Alexis began, shifting in her seat. The expression on her face was one of great sorrow, as if saying the words pained her a great deal. "That they died in the same accident..."

"Yeah, well...They did. It was a long time ago..."

"You never talk about it."

"It's not something that's easy for me to talk about."

There was a long pause during which Marceline sat up, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees as she stared at the grain of the wooden coffee table. She took in every detail, hoping it would be enough to keep her mind off of her mother and godmother. It wasn't until she felt an arm around her shoulders that she realized that Alexis had scooted closer to her.

"I apologize for bringing it up," the brunette whispered. Marceline shook her head and blinked back tears. "If you ever want or need to talk about it...I am here."

"Yeah...I know..." Marceline breathed, sniffling a bit. After knuckling away a tear that threatened to fall she looked up and gave Alexis a watery smile.

With a heavy sigh she turned her eyes back down, this time to her hands that she was wringing in her lap. Her mind was racing. So many thoughts whirled around in her head, some of them replaying the events of that winter day and the others fighting over whether or not to just talk about it, to let it all out. Something was keeping her grounded and helping her maintain a grasp on herself, stopping her from breaking down into the emotional mess she became every time her thoughts went to her mother's accident. With a moment's concentration Marceline realized that it was the contact Alexis made, rubbing small circles on the center of her back. Then she spoke, unsure of why the words seemed to flow so freely, but not fighting against them.

"It wasn't anything crazy. Just a car accident. Mom and Betty went out for a girls' day. They hadn't done so in quite a while, but dad took the day off work and Simon did the same so they could catch up and keep an eye on me," Marceline said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. She paused at the same time that the hand on her back stilled. "The road was icy. Their car lost control. They slammed into the car in front of them and then the car behind them hit the same patch of ice, and...There was a huge pile up."

"Dad and Simon were chatting and watching the news when the report came in. I didn't even know what was going on. All I knew was that they were panicking and trying to call someone. After a bit someone called them. It was the hospital, letting them know what happened. Betty didn't make it there. She slipped away on the ambulance. Mom..." Marceline cleared her throat and wiped away the fat tears that began to fall freely. "They did what they could, but there was just too much damage done. She hung on long enough to say goodbye. There are some nights that I dream about seeing her like that, all of those tubes connected to her, broken and bloody...It's hard, y'know? I miss her..."

Marceline allowed herself to be pulled into a comforting embrace by Alexis, who held her close and stroked her hair gently. She was honestly surprised at how well she was holding it together. The few times she had even considered telling someone else about the event left her in a state of emotional ruin for days, but here she was talking about the single most traumatizing event in her life to a woman that she'd known for barely two weeks. And she felt no shame, no remorse, and none of the other negative things she thought she would. If Marceline had to describe how she felt, the one word she would use would have been...lighter.

Simon's voice rang out through the house and caused her eyes to fly open. Without realizing it she'd managed to fall asleep thanks to the combination of exhaustion brought on by crying and the comfort provided by Alexis. Both women stood and hurried back to the study to find Simon bent over his desk, the tip of his nose almost grazing the pages of the book he was currently poring over.

"Did you find something?" Marceline asked as she slumped into the same chair she'd been in the previous day, inwardly pouting that she couldn't receive the same treatment she had on the couch. She loved having her feet massaged (and Alexis was rather skilled at it), but how would it look to Simon if she propped her feet up on Alexis's lap in his study like that? He was already savvy to the tension between the pair. No need to fuel the flames.

"I do believe I have," Simon chuckled, flashing a grin as he looked up from his book. Alexis took a seat and crossed her legs, nodding for him to continue.

"The story tells of a band of brothers, sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, who led a massive invasion force known as the Great Heathen Army in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The two brothers relevant to the matter at hand are Ivar the Boneless and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Ragnar himself was captured by King Aelle of Northumbria and thrown into a snake pit, not the way you wanted to go as far as executions..."

"Going back on topic, Ivar was a sickly child, born with what we call brittle-bone disease. All the same, being of noble blood, he was allowed to live instead of being done away with. And the boy was smart. Somewhere along the line a mysterious book came into his possession. With the Enchiridion it was as if he'd been born a perfect specimen. Well, aside from his cruelty. It's said that the man had no love in his heart for anyone but his brothers, and when he conquered it was to completion. Murder, pillaging, all that."

"Anyway, Ivar and his brothers invaded Northumbria, captured it, and put Aelle to death in a rather horrific and ritualistic fashion to avenge their father's death. Some accounts say that the Viking war host was bolstered with every man that fell, attributed to the book of magic that Ivar carried. The men that were cut down but remained mostly whole rose again to fight alongside the living as shades of themselves, creatures capable of twisting their limbs in unnatural ways with soulless pits for eyes."

"Thanks for the background, Simon, but..." Marceline sighed with a concealed eye roll. She drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair as she continued. "Can we get to the important stuff?"

Simon quirked up one eyebrow, frowning ever so slightly before he continued.

"As I was saying, some accounts were found saying that the book Ivar carried with him at all times – even slept with – was a magical tome that granted him unrealistic strength and even made him physically larger, curing his ills in the process. Sigurd also had his own relic, a sword of unmatched sharpness that was said to have been none other than the legendary Gram which, according to Norse mythology, was used by a man of the same name to slay the dragon Fafnir."

Marceline snorted at that, but remained silent.

"Accounts of their battles are nearly impossible to come by, but luckily I stumbled across a few. Namely, conflicts between Ivar and Sigurd against one King Aethelred of Wessex. As it turns out, Ivar and Aethelred had a bit of bad blood between them. It was during the Viking invasion of Mercia that the two met for the first time."

"During the initial clash Sigurd wound up dead at Aethelred's hand. His sword, Gram, was taken as a trophy. With his brother dead and his forces vastly outnumbered by not only the Mercian army but also the reinforcements provided by Aethelred and his brother Alfred, Ivar no longer had the desire to continue fighting. An agreement was struck and Ivar pulled his men back, retreating to Northumbria."

"With the death of Sigurd came an almost primal need for revenge. After spending some time with his head in his precious book Ivar returned to East Anglia and proceeded with his attempts at total conquest, his acts of cruelty becoming more and more depraved as time went on. It is also said that there was a marked change in his physical appearance as well. Wounds he received did not heal. They festered and oozed, skin and tissue died and fell away to reveal bone."

"In battle it was said that his eyes would glow an eerie green, an aura of the same hue shrouding him. The march of the Great Heathen Army was marked by a trail of corpse-strewn land pocked with divots where ghostly fire had been hefted at the opposing forces. But, with as many that died, plenty more found themselves in service to Ivar as lifeless soldiers in his ranks. Those that lived in the wake of the devastation became the victims of horrible illnesses marked by sores and necrotic flesh that more often than not led to death."

"After conquering East Anglia, Ivar was met by Aethelred and Alfred on the field of battle, the King and Prince intent on stopping his grisly campaign. The battle at Reading did not go in their favor. With the loss of a large number of their men Aethelred was left with no choice but to retreat. Ivar, fueled by rage and seeking revenge for his fallen brother, chased after him. They met again at Ashdown. This time the brothers were successful in pushing Ivar's forces back, earning themselves a victory."

"The Black Army, as Aethelred began to call the invading force, retreated to Basing. The King lead an attack and was properly trounced. This was met with another attack from Ivar at Meretum, which is now Marton, Wiltshire. Here's where things get...interesting."

"And relevant? We understand that this book turns people into scary supernatural guys and makes them capable of like, causing plagues and junk. What we need to know is how to stop whoever the hell has it, Simon," Marceline grumbled.

"I do apologize, dear. How silly of me to think that you'd like to know a bit about the lore behind the Enchiridion. After all, why bother with recounting the only detailed account of its use and the effect it had in the world at the time? Why give an example as to how deadly someone with this tome could be?" Simon asked, obviously not thrilled with Marceline rushing him.

"Actually, I find all of this rather fascinating. Please, Simon, continue," Alexis said softly. Marceline shot her a glare that was met with a subtle smile that seemed to say 'just let him finish'. With a sigh Marceline sat back in her chair and gave Simon an apologetic look.

"Anyway, once the fighting began at Meretum, Ivar issued a challenge to Aethelred, demanding that the King face him in single combat. The King was more than happy to comply. While Alfred commanded the whole of their forces, Aethelred met Ivar on the field. After a great deal of fighting the King managed to land a glancing blow to the Enchiridion, which Ivar kept on his person in a leather case fashioned specifically for the book."

"With the tome damaged, Ivar was rendered weak. It gave Aethelred the perfect opportunity to strike. Ivar the Boneless was cut down by his fallen brother's sword. Despite the loss of their leader and also the mysterious 'deaths' of their corpse soldiers, the Viking host proved too powerful for the King's army and once more they retreated. This time the Black Army did not follow. Instead they let their enemies withdraw and took to handling their dead leader."

"Upon finding Ivar's body it was noted that the Enchiridion was nowhere to be found. Though its whereabouts after that battle were never confirmed, it wasn't long until King Aethelred came down with a mysterious illness that took his life before spreading across Wessex. Some said it was a curse brought on by the vengeful spirit of Ivar, enraged even in death over the loss of his brother and his own end at the edge of Sigurd's sword."

"It was around that time that both the Enchiridion and Gram disappeared into the annals of history. While referenced a few times there are no other accounts of the book in as much detail as this story," Simon concluded.

"Um...Okay...So pretty much what you're saying is that the only way to render the Lich vulnerable is to...damage the Enchiridion?" Marceline asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

"Precisely. Though, seeing how it survived all of this time I believe it's safe to assume that it can't be done away with all that easily," Simon remarked.

"What of the sword? Gram? If it was used to kill one man who possessed the Enchiridion then one could assume that it could be used to do so again," Alexis posited, tilting her head to the side as she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"That would be a reasonable conclusion," the man said with a nod.

"How does that help us? You said that it 'disappeared into the annals of history'. Doesn't that mean that it's like, lost or whatever?" Marceline inquired. Simon nodded again and a grin found its way into his face. He stood, turning his back to the two women in favor of digging in a long trunk that sat behind his desk.

"I know you've never quite understood my fascination with ancient artifacts or why I've spent nearly my entire life and every spare cent collecting them. Betty didn't either," Simon chuckled as he lifted the lid of the trunk. Marceline heard various trinkets and items being shifted around before Simon turned around, a worn-looking blade made of what appeared to be gold in his hand. "I feel like you'd both appreciate it now, though."

"Wait, there's no way," Marceline snorted.

"Oh, there is," Simon stated flatly. He lifted the sword, held it above his desk, and simply let the weight of the blade carry it down towards the wood. The sword cut through the thick wood of the desk as if it was nothing, cleaving everything it touched before embedding into the floor a good bit. Marceline gaped. She was absolutely speechless. Upon turning to look at Alexis she found the brunette to be equally dumbstruck, the woman's mouth hanging open.

"Ladies, I present to you the crown jewel of my collection. It's been looked over by every leading historical society in the world and they have all verified its authenticity. This is the legendary sword Gram," Simon said, beaming with pride. Alexis stood and stepped forward, reaching out with one hand.

"May I?"

"Absolutely, my dear," the man said, gingerly handing the weapon over. Alexis grinned as she held the blade out and peered along the length. Along the flat edge were runes, presumably in Elder Futhark. Marceline had no idea. To her they all looked like random lines. But Alexis seemed convinced, and if it was good enough for her then it was good enough for Marceline.

"I must say that I believe that we lucked out with this," Alexis remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, indeed. Now, I'm entrusting it to you for the time being, but once all this business with Lichman is settled, I expect to have that returned...undamaged, if you would. As far as transporting it...I suggest that you do so with extreme caution. I had a sheath designed for it that should hold it in place, but if the holds for the cross guard fail then the blade will slice through the sheath like a hot knife through butter," Simon explained, producing a bulky scabbard from the same trunk (obviously much newer than the blade itself). He handed it to Alexis, who housed the sword with a smile and fastened the padded leather straps meant to keep the hilt in place and prevent the edge of the blade from coming in contact with the inside of the scabbard.

"This is just weird. I have a hard time believing that the key to killing Lichman is some dusty old sword from Norse mythology," Marceline breathed. She stood and grinned at Simon, holding her hands up defensively before the man could speak. "Not that I doubt you or anything. This is totally your area of expertise. If you found some old ass story about that sword taking out some other dick who fancied himself a big baddy, then we don't really have any other choice than to run with it, right?"

"I feel the need to ask for a bit of clarification. So, the sword must be used to damage the Enchiridion itself to render the Lich weak enough to kill, yes?" Alexis asked.

"That's the idea. I'd say one good stab through the book should to it. Pierce it and Lichman should be susceptible to the same injuries as anyone else," Simon said with a warm smile. He adjusted his glasses before tilting his head to the side and adding "Though, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if you used the sword on him as well. Either way, we're going on a story that is hundreds of years old and could very well be nothing more than the result of an overactive imagination."

"It's the best that we've got to go on for the time being," Marceline sighed, running a hand through her hair. She flashed Alexis a wary smile, flinching a bit as the brunette handed over the sword. "Wha…?"

"Unless you know how to drive a motorcycle...well...You should probably hold onto that for now," the woman explained with a smirk.

"Right..."

"Thank you for everything, Simon. For the research, opening your home to us, the food...everything. I will allow you two a moment to say your farewells and call the others to let them know that we will be on our way back shortly," Alexis said. She flashed Simon a smile that carried over as her eyes went to Marceline. With that, the woman stepped out of the room, her hand plunged into her pocket to retrieve the cellphone.

"I do hope you don't hurt that girl, accidentally or otherwise," Simon said softly. Marceline whirled in her seat to face him, hands tightening on the scabbard she held.

"Wait, what? We're back on this, Simon?" she asked incredulously. The man merely let out an airy chuckle and collapsed into the chair behind his ruined desk.

"Yes. We are. I was wary of her at first, as I am with anyone that you've obviously taken a liking to. The last thing you need in your life is more disappointment. You've had enough of that already," Simon began, crossing his legs and tenting his fingers. Ice blue eyes narrowed at Marceline. "I don't think you're the one in danger of being hurt in this scenario, though."

"Why would I hurt her?"

"Why haven't you told her that you have feelings for her?" Simon raised his hand to silence Marceline before she could argue. "Don't deny it. I've known you long enough to see when there's something going on. It was the same with that girl Bonnibel. I'm guessing that you never got around to telling her how you felt either?" he asked. Marceline huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. "Hm, that's what I thought."

"I don't get why you're pushing this, Simon. I mean, we're staring the apocalypse in the face," Marceline snorted.

"That's precisely why I'm pushing it, dear. We all deserve happiness, even at the end of the world. I've had mine. I'm content. You, on the other hand, have made it a point never to open up in that aspect. Don't you think it's about time you did so?" Simon asked softly, a fatherly smile on his face. He had a point.

"I...I guess you're right," Marceline conceded with a sigh and a flourish of her hand. She ignored the warmth in her face and shot him the best scowl she could manage upon seeing the grin playing across his features. "Doesn't mean you have to rub it in, though. I'll say something. Eventually."

"Mhm...You should make it sooner rather than later," Simon remarked. His eyes went to the doorway, a telltale sign that Alexis had returned. Marceline turned to see a grin on the brunette's face.

"Guessing that everything's good to go?" she asked. Alexis nodded.

Once Simon gave Marceline (and to her surprise, Alexis) a hug they slid their helmets on. Gram was secured to Marceline's back by a strap that Simon fixed to the scabbard, and as before she climbed onto the motorcycle and wrapped her arms tight around the brunette's waist. This time she felt none of the anxiety and fear that took hold during their trip from the cabin. She kept her eyes open, doing what she could to focus on the road ahead of them and the scenery they passed en route to the highway.

Once there Marceline's attention was pulled between the sky above to Alexis, who seemed to twitch ever so slightly as her fingers traced small patterns on her stomach. The reactions caused a satisfied smirk to play across her lips, something that remained there until motorcycle came to a stop in front of the cabin. That was the end of the closeness as she and Alexis both climbed off of the bike, allowing the brunette to return it to its place around the side of the cabin.

Marceline stepped inside and was greeted by smiles from the rest of her friends. The only holdout was Leslie, whose eyes were narrowed as she sneered from her spot on the couch. There wasn't much time to look into the expression, as Marceline found herself backpedaling away from Bonnibel as the blonde approached with her arms held open for a hug. She was obviously confused.

"Just...careful. Okay?" Marceline half-laughed, removing the scabbard strapped to her back. She gingerly set it down next to the couch, not wanting to test the sheath's ability to hold the sword within just yet.

With the weapon set aside (and after a number of confused glances were exchanged among the others), Marceline gave Bonnibel a hug. She smiled as she buried her face into the strawberry blonde hair that hung in loose curls around the woman's shoulders, unable to prevent herself from heaving a sigh. Vibrations coursed through her as Bonnibel let out a chuckle.

"I'm guessing you missed me?" she asked, giving Marceline a squeeze to punctuate her question.

"Maybe I did. Is that a problem?"

"Mm...No, I guess not," Bonnibel breathed.

The cabin door opened for a second time and Marceline jumped away from Bonnibel, causing the blonde to screw up her face in confusion. She locked eyes with Alexis and shot her a venomous glare that the brunette narrowed her eyes in response to, a subtle challenge if ever one had been seen. It didn't go unnoticed. The tension in the air was almost palpable. Luckily Finn stepped up, finally the one to avert a potential disaster instead of being the one to cause it.

"Hey, what's this? A sword or something?" the large man asked, reaching for Gram. His hand was promptly swatted away by Alexis, earning her a raised eyebrow from everyone but Marceline.

"It is not just a sword, Finn. It is the sword. Our most important weapon in the fight against the Lich," she explained, her voice carrying almost as much of an edge as the borrowed blade.

It was at that point that the group settled in various positions in the living area, Leslie, Bonnibel, and Marceline on the couch, Phoebe in the armchair, Finn, Lorraine, and Jake on the floor, and Alexis leaning against the mantle of the fireplace. Marceline started the story that Simon had recounted to her and Alexis, the brunette more than happy to fill in any blanks or correct errors in the tale. Granted, she wasn't fond of being corrected, though it was done gently enough for her not to take offense to it. As anticipated, Bonnibel was more than a little skeptical.

"So, we're expected to go on what happened in some legend and use a sword, of all things, to try and stop Lichman?" the blonde asked with a snort. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "This is absolutely ridiculous."

"Yeah, I'm inclined to agree, but at the same time what else do we have to go on?" Marceline asked as she ran a hand through her hair.

"As unrealistic as this seems..." Lorraine said, paused to chew on her bottom lip for a moment before looking around at the others. "Not much about any of this situation really makes sense as it is. Superhuman abilities sort of make a magic book and sword seem almost commonplace, y'know?"

"I think it's kind of cool. It'll be like we're stopping some great Viking war chief like that King guy did!" Finn exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Oh yeah? Who's the King and who's the Prince then?" Jake asked with a challenging smirk directed at his younger brother. They began to wrestle around until they nearly rolled into the fireplace. Phoebe caused the flames within to flare, casting heat on them before they got too close for good measure. They returned to their seats, mumbling apologies to the others and grumbling threats at each other as they went.

"Lorraine's right, Bonnibel," Phoebe said. It earned her an eye roll from the blonde that she apparently chose to ignore. "Look at everything that's happened up to this point. Even someone with such a raging hard-on for logic as you has to admit that whatever Lichman is, it isn't natural. So what if we have to put a little bit of faith in some legend? I think it's worth a shot." The redhead paused before looking around the room, her eyes landing on the woman leaning against the mantle. "Alex, what's your take on all of this?"

Silence hung over them as they waited for the brunette to speak. She was gazing intently at the crackling wood resting on the hearth, one hand gripping her chin as she considered her words.

"I am of the belief that all legends could potentially be based in fact. For all we know, everything that Simon found could be nothing more than the writings of a madman," Alexis remarked.

"Thank you! Finally, someone's using some common sen-"

"But..." Alexis continued, cutting Bonnibel off and earning herself a rather nasty scowl. She stood up straight and shoved her hands into her pockets, shrugging. "It could also be true, or even partially true. If you would have told me that a sword could be dropped and cleave a desk in two I would have said that it was impossible, that physics wouldn't allow it. All the same, it happened." The brunette heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This tale is all we have to go on. If it means stopping Lichman then I am more than prepared to put my faith into it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to attend to."

With that Alexis retreated into the bunker. More discussion was had amongst the group, mostly about the validity of the legend of Ivar the Boneless and King Aethelred. In the end there wasn't much of a conclusion reached. Bonnibel was firm in her stance that whatever was going on could be explained by science. Marceline, as much as she wanted to agree, found herself unable to come to much of a decision in the 'Magic v. Science' argument, same as Lorraine and Phoebe. Finn and Jake were more than happy to claim that it was magic. Leslie, as eerie as it was, sat in silence the entire time. Her eyes remained locked on Marceline.

Once they all decided that there was no use discussing the topic any further they all went about their own business in the cabin. Bonnibel remained seated between Marceline and Leslie, pouting. After heaving a sigh she decided to spark up a conversation unrelated to the previous topic.

"So, how's Simon doing? Aside from apparently being out a desk?" Bonnibel asked with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Oh, he's alright. You know Simon. He was happy to see me and happier to have something to research for a day. Something tells me that the next time I talk to him he's going to have loads more to say about Viking lore," Marceline chuckled fondly. She flashed a smile at Bonnibel. "How was everything here?"

"About as boring as you'd expect. We were all worried about you staying away from the group with Alexis, though," the blonde replied.

"Wait, why do you say that?" Marceline asked with a confused frown.

"It's not like she's really the best at staying safe. She's the one who's ended up injured more than the rest of us combined, and I was the one taken to Lichman himself," Bonnibel scoffed. Marceline's frown morphed into a full-blown scowl.

"Bonnie...She's been the one to put her own life on the line to make sure the rest of us walk away without a scratch," she began, abruptly standing. "I don't know what your issue with her is, but don't think I haven't noticed that you've been snappy with her lately. Whatever your problem is, get over it." Marceline was more than a little confused about why she felt the need to stick up for Alexis like this. At the same time, now that she'd started she found herself unable to stop talking. "In case you've forgotten, we wouldn't even be here without her. We'd still be locked in that weird testing facility or whatever it was, maybe even dead. So how about you cut her some slack, huh?"

The stunned expression on Bonnibel's face was new to Marceline. It had her wanting to apologize for being so curt, but deep down she wanted the blonde to stew for a while. Perhaps being snapped at like that was what she needed to adjust her odd attitude as of late. Without another word Marceline stormed down into the bunker, pulling up a seat beside Alexis at one of the computers with a huff. The brunette was typing quickly, casting a concerned glance at her guest. Marceline merely shook her head. For the time being she was content with sitting in silence and watching (albeit not understanding) Alexis work.

The silence gave her time to think about the last exchange she had with Simon. Her godfather had been right. She deserves happiness, even in the end of the world. Bonnibel was acting as cold and distant as ever, leading Marceline to believe that she wasn't going to find the sort of relationship she wanted with her. But love makes people do the weirdest things, and Marceline was definitely in love with Bonnibel. It was a fact that she'd been fighting against realizing for longer than she cared to think about. Perhaps Alexis, who was seeing things with a fresh pair of eyes as opposed to the others, would have some hidden wisdom about it. Besides, her opinion would be relatively unbiased seeing how she'd known them all for such a short period of time...right?

"Hey, Alex...Could I maybe have a word with you?" Marceline asked quietly. The brunette pushed away from the computer's keyboard and nodded.

"Sure thing," Alexis replied, flashing a smile. They climbed the steps leading from the bunker and walked out to the fence in front of the cabin, far enough away from the door and windows to be sure that nobody would overhear them. Marceline let out a sigh. The smile Alexis wore faded into a concerned frown. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Well, no..." Another sigh. "It's about Bonnie. I probably shouldn't bring it up, let alone to you of all people, but-"

"You have feelings for her," Alexis stated. Marceline looked at her and blinked.

"Well, yeah," she said, furrowing her brow. She thought she'd been able to hide it with at least some success. "How did you know?"

The sides of Alexis's mouth tugged up in a warm smile. "Well, there's the scientific side of things. When you look at her your pupils dilate, your face flushes, heart rate increases, things like that," she said. Marceline felt a nagging tug in her chest. That was such a Bonnie explanation. "And there's the intuitive side. It's something about the way you look at her. It's with...adoration. Usually. I'm not sure what it is, but lately things have been different. Yeah?"

"Yeah. I don't know. I guess it's stress or the constant pressure we're all under...I feel like something's changed. I still lo-" Marceline cut herself off with a cough, hoping that her slip went unnoticed. Judging from the slight narrowing of Alexis's eyes it had not. After shifting her weight from one foot to the other Marceline began to wring her hands and continued. "I still care about her. Guess I'm just finally coming to terms with the fact that we're never going to be together," Marceline explained. She tried to look anywhere but at Alexis as she fought to compose herself. Thinking it and saying it were two different things. The words stung more than the tears Marceline was trying to blink back.

"Marceline..." Alexis sighed. At the sound of her name being spoken and weighted down with that much emotion, she looked up. When when their eyes met Marceline took note of the crystalline rim of tears blurring the pained blue orbs of the other woman. Her voice was soft as she continued. "Don't give up, alright? Try talking to her. She might surprise you." Alexis let out an airy chuckle. "She'd be the most stupid genius in the world if she didn't give you a chance. You're an amazing woman, Marceline. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"You really think that?" Marceline asked with a sniffle. Alexis nodded, that same genuine smile on her face. Her sincerity was unmistakable. It triggered something in Marceline, a knee-jerk reaction that she barely processed until it was too late.

One second she'd been standing a few feet away from the brunette. The next she had her arms around her and their lips were pressed together. It wasn't until Marceline noticed that Alexis had gone rigid that she pulled away, the other woman's mouth open ever so slightly and eyes eerily blank. She'd fucked up. She knew she had. Before she could stutter out the apology on the tip of her tongue Marceline felt a warm hand cup her cheek. This time it was Alexis who leaned in. Marceline gasped against the kiss as the hand on her face found its way to her neck, fingers raking through the hair on her nape. The brunette's other arm wrapped tight around her waist and pulled their bodies together. She could feel finely toned muscle beneath the thin layers of fabric that separated them. Marceline was unable to keep her hands to herself, to stop them from wandering over the tight stomach, around to Alexis's lower back.

Her thoughts were nothing more than static. If Marceline would have been more aware then she would have heard the door to the cabin swing open with a creak, would have seen the blonde standing on the porch watching the rather handsy scene unfold, and would have been able to pull away sooner. But God Alex's lips were so soft, her mouth so sweet, and how long had she wanted to do this? It wasn't until Bonnibel let out an indignant scoff that Marceline was able to drag herself away from Alexis, spinning on her heels to see a single tear slide down the blonde's face before she sprinted into the woods.

Now she'd seriously fucked up.


	15. Love and War

To say that Bonnibel was shocked by Marceline's outburst in defense of Alexis would have been an understatement. She was utterly gobsmacked. It wasn't that the woman had yelled at her. No, that had happened during other arguments they'd had in the past. It was the way she yelled at her. The whole thing left Bonnibel feeling like a child that had been chastised for doing something they knew was absolutely stupid. All the blonde could do was gape at Marceline as she stormed down into the bunker to join Alexis.

After processing the exchange Bonnibel's shock turned into the nagging jealousy she'd become so familiar with since her rescue from the military complex. She began to brood, crossing her arms and glaring towards the bunker's entrance as she grumbled incoherently. As much as she hated being bested in a conflict there really wasn't any way she could paint herself in the right. It was almost infuriating.

"Someone's a little jealous, I see," Leslie remarked, that all too familiar shit-eating grin on her pudgy face.

"Who the fuck asked you, Leslie? If anyone here's jealous, it's you," Bonnibel snapped, gesturing in the direction of Finn and Phoebe, who were carrying out a rather animated conversation in hushed tones. "Stop trying to project you insecurities on other people"

It was enough to shut Leslie up for the time being. Instead of continuing to harass Bonnibel the woman merely rolled her eyes and began picking at her fingernails. It seemed to be a habit of hers that wound up being surprisingly annoying...And it did nothing to help Bonnibel's mood. Her irritation subsided after a bit as Marceline emerged from the makeshift laboratory, though the sight of Alexis trailing behind the woman made her purse her lips. One of her eyebrows quirked up as she watched the pair step outside, making sure to close the door. Bonnibel didn't have long to harp on it as Lorraine sat down next to her at almost the same time.

"With as many conversations as I've had with people on this couch I feel like I should have gone to school to be a therapist instead of a teacher," Lorraine chuckled. Her smile faded some but didn't disappear completely as her soft brown eyes locked with the blonde's. "Is everything okay with you, Bonnie? I feel like I don't need to tell you that everybody heard that little spat you and Marceline got into earlier. Whatever you said to set her off must have been harsh."

Bonnibel let out a sigh and rolled one of her shoulders in an unenthusiastic shrug.

"I might have talked a little trash about Alex constantly getting hurt after saying that we were worried about them going off to Simon's the other day," she admitted, her eyes on her lap. She looked up to see Lorraine pinch the bridge of her nose as she sighed.

"Come on, girl. They're obviously getting along better than Alex is with any of the rest of us. Why would say something you knew would upset Marcy?"

"I dunno," Bonnibel lied, her face going the slightest bit pink as she averted her eyes again, rubbing her bicep awkwardly.

"Because she's jealous. Duh," Leslie snorted. Her tone made it seem like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like Bonnibel had a large neon sign over her head with an arrow pointed at her while the word 'jealous' flashed.

"How in the hell would you know?" Bonnibel snapped. Once again Leslie flashed her 'know-it-all' smirk, the same one she wore whenever she felt like she was sitting on a particularly juicy piece of drama.

"I keep telling you guys that I'm, like, psychic or whatever. Not my fault you won't listen," the woman remarked with a slight laugh.

"Yeah, because you're so full of shit your eyes are brown," Phoebe remarked, earning a barked out laugh from Finn and a stifled chuckle from Jake. Even Bonnibel had to admit that it was a pretty good burn.

"I mean, maybe if we had some concrete proof or something," Lorraine said with a slight shrug. With those words the most cynical grin to have ever been worn on the face of a human being appeared on Leslie's face.

"All you've gotta do is check outside. You'll find Marceline and Alexis with their tongues down each others' throats, and let me tell ya, Marcy is way into it," the woman announced with glee.

"Bullshit," Bonnibel spat, jumping to her feet. She hastily went for the cabin door, her friends quick on her heels. "I'm gonna open this door and they're going to be having a conversation about a potential plan for what we're gonna do with this whole Enchiridion and Lichman thing and then I'm going to tell them what you said they'd be doing and we're all gonna have a good laugh at your expen-"

Bonnibel was cut off by what she saw when she tore the door open. Her vision faded into a tunnel and focused on the pair outside as they did exactly what Leslie said they were doing. The way their mouths moved in tandem, the way Alexis held Marceline close, and – good God – the way Marceline looked like she was completely melting into the embrace.

At first Bonnibel didn't feel anything thanks to the overwhelming shock. It took mere seconds for that to fade away only to be replaced by an almost staggering pain that was quickly fused with anger. Anger at herself for not acting on her feelings for the woman sooner, anger at Alexis for coming between them, and anger at Marceline for fucking enjoying it. Bonnibel tried to laugh. All that came out was something akin to a bark of disbelief. That was enough to get Marceline's attention. The woman jumped away from Alexis and spun around as a single traitorous tear was pushed down Bonnibel's cheek by the sheer weight of the ache in her chest. And then she ran, wanting to be as far away from everyone and everything as she could be.

Bonnibel wasn't aware of what direction she was heading in. She barely registered the stinging in her legs as she crashed through the thorny underbrush in her mad dash, her vision blurred to the point that all she could make out was shapes. Someone was following her, calling her name, begging her to stop running. No, there was no way that was happening. Not until she was damn sure she wanted to stop. It wasn't until Bonnibel and her pursuer were far enough away from the cabin that it was nowhere to be seen did she finally come to a halt.

"Bonnie..."

It had been Marceline who followed her. Of course it was Marceline. Bonnibel knuckled tears from her eyes, keeping her back to the woman.

"Bon, I am so sorry..." Marceline breathed. The blonde spun on her heels, glaring as tears spilled down her face.

"Sorry?" she sarcastically laughed. "You're sorry?" Bonnibel paused and shook her head with a scoff. "What, sorry I saw? Sorry you did it? I'm gonna need you to be a little more specific, Marceline."

"I...I..." Marceline said weakly. Her voice cut out and she simply stood there, her mouth hanging open as she shook her head.

"That's what I thought. You're not sorry about a damn thing. You couldn't even apologize after you fucking left me in that apartment. No, Marceline Abadeer lives without regrets. Always has, always will, yeah? Fuck whoever else is hurt in the process," Bonnibel snapped.

"Whoa, first of all I have nothing to apologize for as far as my choice to move out! You were being a total bitch, Bonnibel, and we both know it. All I wanted was for you to take a break from studying so we could spend some time together!" Marceline shouted, a scowl finding its way to her face. "And what do I get in return? You call me a fucking problem! OF ALL THE THINGS you could have said, you picked that...You knew what was going to hurt the most and you threw it out there like it was nothing!" This time it was Marceline who laughed, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes. "And how in the fuck would you even know what I do and don't regret, huh!? Just because I don't go around pouring my heart out to everyone doesn't mean there isn't plenty of stuff I regret!"

"Name ONE thing, Marceline! ONE SINGLE THING you regret!"

Silence hung in the air as the last of their shouting bounced around them for a moment. Bonnibel watched the other woman closely. Marceline's mouth opened and closed a few times before the woman let out a frustrated growl and threw up her hands in concession, something she'd done too many times to count in the past. Bonnibel wasn't having any of it. There was no way she was going to let Marceline walk away from the problem this time.

"Turn around and answer me," the blonde growled, firmly grasping the woman's wrist as she went to stalk off in what was presumably the direction of the cabin. To her surprise Marceline tore away and shoved her back, face twisted into a pained and tear-stained grimace.

"I regret not telling you how I feel – how I've felt for years! I fucking love you...GOD! You're so DENSE sometimes! Even Raine and JAKE picked up on it for crying out loud!"

"I'M dense!?" Bonnibel shrieked. She continued, her words spilling out before she could stop them. "The only reason I came out back in school was because I was CRAZY about you! I sat and talked with Raine for hours about it before making the decision to tell everyone, hoping that somehow you'd get the fucking hint that I was so in love with you that it hurt!"

It was like the air had been sucked from Bonnibel's lungs. Her heart was slamming inside of her chest and for a moment it was all she could hear as she stood rooted to the ground. Her mind was still clouded by a fog of anger as she stepped forward, grabbing Marceline by the collar of her shirt and redirecting her to push her back against a tree before moving one hand behind the woman's head to pull her into a rather forceful kiss. Bonnibel felt a shiver run down her spine as Marceline gasped against her lips, arms wrapping around her waist.

"You love me, huh?" the blonde murmured after pulling away for a quick breath.

"Yeah, I do," Marceline breathed, raking a hand through Bonnibel's hair before curling her fingers around a length of it and pulling her head back to expose her neck. "Even though you're a raging bitch sometimes..."

"If I didn't love you too, I'd be offended," Bonnibel chuckled, fire blossoming on her throat as the woman's teeth grazed her skin, soft lips tracing a line from her neck to her jaw. She was hyper aware of the fingers toying with the hem of her shirt, skirting across the skin of her lower back.

It was enough to make her pause and pull away to glower at Marceline. Sure, she was more than happy for this scene to unfold, but that didn't mean that she couldn't still be pissed off about what she'd seen earlier. No, that entire situation was far from over. Bonnibel was willing to put it aside for now given the haze of raw desire and need that had settled around her, blocking out everything else in the world but Marceline.

"I-is...Did I cross a line? I feel like maybe there was a miscom-"

Bonnibel cut the woman off by pulling her away from the tree and wrestling her to the ground in a surprising display of gentle force, not wanting to risk injury but feeling the need to make it clear that she was still holding on to a good bit of ire. She was on top of Marceline, straddling one of her legs as she kissed her, biting her bottom lip and eliciting a throaty moan from the woman while she worked the buttons of her shirt loose. Hands gripped Bonnibel's wrists, stilling their work.

"Bon, are you sure you wanna do this?" Marceline asked, voice cracking and shaky.

"Dammit, Abadeer, just fuck me before I change my mind."

That was all the confirmation Marceline needed. All cares and concerns for anything but the two of them were thrown to the wind as their clothing was cast aside. What started out as rushed and awkward fumbling became a less than delicate affair. Bonnibel couldn't resist the smirk that crept its way onto her face as Marceline reached her peak first despite the blonde's complete lack of experience. She wasn't allowed to revel in her success long before her focus was obliterated by the feeling of hungry lips on her.

As many times as Bonnibel had dreamed about intimacy with Marceline the reality of it all was so much better than she could have imagined. Sure, the setting wasn't ideal, but the blonde was more than willing to overlook that, especially with the churning heat that was currently making her blood boil. Bonnibel completely forgot about her previous feelings of betrayal and focused on the combined efforts of her lover's deft fingers and mouth. She couldn't have thought of anything else if she wanted to.

Her hands wrapped up in silky black hair, fingers digging into the woman's scalp. Moans flowed from her between heavy breaths, more and more frequent as pressure built in her core. All at once Bonnibel lost control, screaming out Marceline's name as the floodgates burst and wave after wave of white hot ecstasy rolled through her. After what felt like an eternity bathed in bliss Marceline collapsed next to her.

Covered in a sheen of sweat, they curled up in each others arms on a makeshift bed of clothing, Marceline's shirt draped on top of them to offer at least some barrier between their skin and the cold winter air. For the sake of preserving their good health they lay there just long enough for their hammering pulses to level out. As the first snowflakes began to fall Bonnibel heaved a contented sigh before finally pulling herself away from Marceline, a smile on her face.

With nothing more said aside from quickly exchanged 'I love you's they pulled on their discarded clothing, communicating in grins they flashed as their eyes repeatedly met. Whatever anger Bonnibel held onto had completely disappeared. Once they set off for the cabin she grabbed Marceline's hand, lacing their fingers together as they trudged through the woods. The blonde knew that whatever this had been, it would only be the beginning...at least if she had anything to say about it.

\--

"Oh my gosh, you guys! Duh-RAMA BOOOOOMB!" Leslie exclaimed. "See? I'm honestly wondering when you guys are gonna, like, start listening to m-"

The blonde was cut off as Alexis crossed the small fenced-in yard in record time to snatch the much shorter woman up by the collar of her shirt and glare at her, rage twisting her face into horrifying mask. Leslie's eyes went wide and for once she had nothing to say, no witty comebacks, and no 'clever' quip. She was quite literally shaking with fear. It also could have been a result of the violent tremble that had found its way to the brunette's hands. Chances were that it was a mix of the two.

"Interfere in my personal interactions again and you will regret it," Alexis hissed through clenched teeth, one corner of her mouth and an eye twitching.

"I-is th-that a th-th-threat?" Leslie managed to sputter out, doing her best to save face at what had to be the worst time. Alexis moved closer to her, eyes narrowed to thin slits. When she replied her voice came out as more of a growl than anything.

"I don't make threats, bitch. It's a promise."

With that Alexis shoved the pudgy blonde back and stalked into the cabin, the bunker door slamming so hard that the rest of the wooden structure shook. The group stood in silence for a moment, a silence that was broken by none other that the woman who took it upon herself to prove her telepathic ability in the worst possible way. Phoebe was already glaring at her by the time she opened her mouth.

"You guys all saw that, right? She was crazy! Like, all up in my face and junk!" Leslie shouted, straightening out her shirt indignantly.

"You kind of deserved it. That was pretty messed up," Lorraine sourly remarked. Before the blonde could say anything else Phoebe added her piece.

"Seriously. You need to learn to keep your fucking mouth shut."

Leslie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, obviously wanting to say something else but wisely keeping it to herself. Jake and Finn stepped outside, the younger brother running a hand through his shaggy hair as he let out a loud breath.

"Should someone go after Bonnie and Marcy and make sure they're alright?" he asked softly.

"Naw, bro. They need time to work out their biz. We should just leave 'em alone," Jake said sullenly.

"Well, what about Alex?" Finn asked with a nod in the direction the brunette had stalked off.

"She probably wants some time alone," Phoebe remarked in a dour tone while her emerald green eyes met Finn's. "Take it from someone with a bit of experience in being monumentally disappointed."

\--

"What happened to you two?" Lorraine asked with one eyebrow arched high, obviously confused as Marceline and Bonnibel entered the cabin hand in hand.

"Um..." was all Marceline could manage, her face burning hot.

"We just talked things through," Bonnibel said with a smile that wavered ever so slightly. "Well, for the most part."

"You can say it, you know. You fucked. Big whoop. It's about time," Leslie scoffed. As always, she'd picked the perfect time to announce it – right as Alexis stepped into the room from the bunker.

Marceline felt her stomach churn as her eyes landed on Alexis. Guilt was tearing her insides up as she remembered her conversation with Simon, not to mention the kiss she'd shared with the brunette. To make matters worse Alexis seemed to shrink at the declaration of what happened between Marceline and Bonnibel. Her eyes were on the ground, shoulders slumped, and her expression darkly vacant. In what had become almost a reflex, Marceline pulled her hand away from the blonde's, running it through her hair in an attempt at an excuse for severing the contact before clearing the lounge and sinking onto the couch.

"So, uh, any leads on where we might find Lichman?" Marceline asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Perhaps," Alexis sighed. She turned and slouched back into the bunker, closing the hatch behind her.

And there was the guilt again, making Marceline painfully aware that she'd caused someone she cared about an immense amount of pain. She'd ended up doing exactly what Simon said to be careful of. She hoped she could find a way to talk to Alexis alone if only to try and explain whatever the hell was going on. It was going to be difficult seeing how she had no clue herself. As much as Bonnibel meant to her, there was something about the brunette that Marceline was more than a little fond of, and she'd have to be a complete moron not to see the chemistry they had. This whole situation was confusing for her.

Marceline was brought back to reality as Bonnibel settled in the seat next to her, their fingers once more entwining. The group spent the rest of the day in relative silence. It seemed like nobody wanted to point out the elephant in the room. That was fine by Marceline. The last thing she felt she could handle was trying to explain the cluster of complicated and conflicting stuff she called her emotions. It wasn't until after the sun had gone down that Alexis finally emerged from the bunker to inform the group about their next objective.

Alexis explained that after the Lich fled the military compound he'd relocated his operations to a long abandoned oil refinery in one of the 'dead boroughs'. The 'dead boroughs', as they were commonly called, more than lived up to their name. At some point during the numerous developmental booms in Reno various areas of the city that never experienced renovation fell into disrepair. Most of them were eventually brought up to par with current standards. Those that weren't remained hollowed out shells of what had once been thriving residential, industrial, and business areas. It also wasn't uncommon for victims of the rare murders that occurred to turn up there. In fact, the dead boroughs were the first place the authorities generally checked.

Once the Humvee had been loaded with weapons and gear, Gram included, everyone piled in. The drive was quick. After entering the city Alexis drove for a few blocks before pulling around the rear of the large building, headlights off and keeping the vehicle in the shadows. After she parked and cut the engine everyone gathered their supplies. Once more, Leslie was tasked with watching the Humvee with a rifle and an earpiece while the rest of the group did the honors and actually infiltrated the facility.

"It's sort of weird that he'd pick an old oil refinery as his new headquarters or whatever," Marceline remarked as she squinted in the darkness at the outside of the large structure.

"Mm, not so much. It's in the area of the city where nobody goes. It's rather convenient for us, though. I mean, we can't be more than a few miles from the wilderness preserve's border," Bonnibel said. The pair shared a small smile as the others gathered around, weapons in hand.

"For real. I'm not gonna complain about the weird lucky streak we've been having," Finn said with a grin as he hefted his rifle in his hands.

"I would not consider us lucky as of yet. We still need to confirm the Lich's presence here," Alexis said, stepping past the others and casting a glance over her shoulder, Gram strapped carefully to her back. "It would not do for us to get ahead of ourselves."

"I'm sure he's still here. You haven't steered us wrong yet, Alex," Jake said with a warm smile directed at the brunette.

Alexis snorted before grumbling "We all make mistakes."

Marceline flinched. The words cut her deep. At the same time she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. Alexis, as pragmatic as she seemed, was obviously very sensitive once her defenses were penetrated. It was something Marceline knew firsthand from their conversation on the cliff. It seemed like weeks ago they'd sat there and watched the sunset. Part of her hoped that they could enjoy something like that again, but at this point she would settle for at least maintaining a friendship with the woman.

The group filed into the refinery and found themselves in what looked like a locker room from what Marceline could tell. Even with her exceptional vision in the dark she was having trouble seeing more than a few feet in front of her. It seemed as though the others were having the same problem based on the whispered apologies and the sounds of shuffling.

"Phoebe, if you would," Alexis requested. With a hum of acknowledgment she raised her hand, keeping the flame low but bright enough to light up the area.

With the path ahead of them revealed the group proceeded, Alexis in front, Phoebe close behind, and the others trailing in a cluster. It didn't take them long to come to a door. Handgun raised and ready, Alexis shot a glance at the rest of the group before throwing the door open, leveling her weapon and scanning the brightly illuminated hallway before her. Seeing nothing that posed a danger the brunette lowered her weapon and moved on as Phoebe extinguished her makeshift torch.

The group made it all of twenty feet down the hallway before a suit-clad man in dark sunglasses turned the corner at the end. Everyone froze and raised their weapons. Well, everyone but Lorraine. The short woman sucked in a quick breath and closed her eyes tight. As she did the air temperature dropped. For a moment Marceline was sure she was hallucinating. Everyone in the group, herself included, seemed to fade out of existence, all of them blending in perfectly with their surroundings. It wasn't until the Oozer stepped into one of the other doors in the hall that they were made visible again.

"Holy shit, Raine...That was awesome," Finn harshly whispered, doing his best to contain his excitement.

"Thanks, Finn. Ugh...That was difficult..." Lorraine puffed, taking heavy breaths. Jake pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and beamed at her.

"That's my baby."

"With that potential crisis averted, you all proceed to the end of the hall. Go left. I will keep a safe distance to assure that we are not surprised," Alexis said flatly.

After an exchange of nods they did as she said, Marceline glancing at her hoping to catch her eye. She let out a soft sigh when Alexis turned her head specifically to avoid looking at her. Without a word they proceeded down the long hall, turning the corner to find another large stretch of tile before them, though there didn't seem to be any doors. The path did branch off to either side at the end, though. Thankfully they had the brunette with them, otherwise the chances of them wandering right into a large group of Oozers would be something to be very afraid of. They came to a stop at the divergence, waiting for their guide's next set of instructions.

"Okay, Alex. Which way?" Marceline asked in a harsh whisper, eyes still on the split in the hallway before the group. She waited for a response, but none came. With a roll of her eyes she turned around to find that the brunette had disappeared. "Alex? Where the fuck did she go!?"

"What!? She was right behind us, wasn't she?" Phoebe almost shouted, whipping around to stare at the empty hallway behind them.

"Great. She has the sword, too. What're we gonna do if-"

"Shit!" Bonnibel growled, interrupting Jake and shoving her way past her friends and starting down the hall. "She gave us the wrong directions on purpose. If she's got the sword then it's a good bet that she's aiming to take Lichman on alone."

"That's suicide!" Lorraine exclaimed with a horrified expression.

Without waiting for anyone to suggest a course of action, Marceline sprinted forward. She heard the footfalls of her friends behind her as they followed. While she figured Alexis would be hurt she never thought that the woman would consider doing something as potentially dangerous as this. It had Marceline in a state of panic. She knew how erratic a person's behavior could be when they were pushed to an emotional extreme.

Marceline slid a bit as she turned the corner, stopping in front of the same door that the Oozer had gone through. If she were Alexis then this was the door she'd have picked as the best bet to finding the Lich. With a nod of confirmation to nobody in particular Marceline kicked the door down, the metal producing a loud series of rings as it hit the ground and slid. With the barrier removed cries of exertion and the sound of clashing steel rang out. Everyone went through the door and into the main floor of the refinery, large vats all around them with a series of metal staircases that led to various walkways over the vats all around the expansive structure.

The group froze as the source of the conflict came into view. On a catwalk far above them were Alexis, Gram in hand, and Lichman, who wielded his own sword that seemed to be coated in a layer of vantablack and radiated the same green energy that his eyes did. Terror gripped Marceline as she stared up at them. As tall as the brunette was, her opponent was substantially larger. The brunette didn't even meet the creature's shoulder. It would be all too easy for him to overpower her and send her plummeting to the ground below.

"ALEX!"

To Marceline's surprise it was Bonnibel who called out to the woman. The brunette spared a moment's glance down towards them, raising her sword to block a devastating blow from Lichman. Had she hesitated even a fraction of a second longer she would have been cut down.

"The Enchiridion!" Alexis shouted, her voice booming. The brunette landed a kick to Lichman's sternum and sent him staggering back, giving her the chance to point across the cavernous room to an obsidian pedestal on which a worn book sat.

Without skipping a beat Marceline broke into a sprint towards their objective. She could hear the others running with her, hot on her heels. Just as it seemed that they would be able to snag the tome a jet of green and black flame impacted the floor between them and the book and caused the ground to shake, chunks of concrete and a fair amount of dust and smoke whirling into the air. They all skidded to a stop, the heat from the blast and eerie flames making it impossible to pass. As if to further the point that the book was strictly off limits, the cursed fire spread into a wide circle around the Enchiridion's pedestal, ghostly screams rising with the crackling of the flames.

Jake attempted to stretch over the wall of fire. Unfortunately, as he grew taller so did the flames. It was clear that he wasn't going to be able to get his hands on it. Out of options, everyone opened fire with whatever weapons they had. The ghastly fire seemed solid. Each bullet and fireball slammed into the barrier, but not one penetrated it. There was a ceasefire as the group exchanged various expressions of dread and shock.

A strangled cry from above drew Marceline's attention. She craned her neck to see exactly what she'd feared beginning to play out. Alexis was dangling over the edge of the catwalk, gripping it with one hand while the other flailed at her side. A split second later there was a loud clang as Gram hit the ground blade first, cutting effortlessly into the concrete as it was buried to the hilt. Phoebe let out a guttural snarl as she ran full tilt at the sword, scooping it up before she jumped into the air. What happened next left everyone flabbergasted for a moment.

The redhead's legs, from halfway up her thighs down to the soles of her feet, were engulfed in fire that left a trail behind her as she rocketed upwards – all the way to the catwalk. Phoebe overshot and wound up with her whirling mane of fiery hair charring the ceiling as she bore her teeth at Lichman who was poised to stomp one of his feet down onto Alexis's hand. He did just that.

Everything became a blur for Marceline. Lichman's cackle, Phoebe's enraged roar, Gram being hurled like a spear, Alexis falling...And then in a flash she felt a rush of wind. Without even realizing it Marceline was hurtling through the air at an incredible speed. She saw something in her periphery that she barely registered as being Jake, the man's arms and torso stretching out beside her but not quite fast enough to keep up. All she could really focus on was the panic that played across Alexis's face. The next thing Marceline knew, the woman was in her arms and they were a good distance away from where they had originally been, but...on the catwalk?

Without leaving any time to process the events Alexis pushed away from Marceline, her hand finding its way to the woman's face as she did so, and dropped to her knees before lurching forward and kicking off into a sprint towards where Gram lay embedded in the catwalk where Phoebe had thrown it. The Lich was sneering as he reached down for the sword. He howled as one of the redhead's fireballs scathed his outstretched hand and caused him to recoil. That was all it took for Alexis to clear the distance. Once again the legendary sword was in her grasp, slicing through the steel of the catwalk as if it were nothing, and arcing towards the Lich. A split second before the blade made contact he roared, converting to mist, and then materialized on the ground near his precious tome.

"Fools...As clever as you are, you stand no chance. Your hubris will be your undoing," the Lich opined. Once more, he wrapped skeletal digits around the Enchiridion before making his escape in a din of pained, ghostly howls, transforming into a black mist that shot through the roof of the building as if the barrier were nothing more than an illusion.

"Alexis, what the fuck!?" Marceline yelled, feeling more hurt than anything that the woman had run off and landed herself in a life threatening situation. The woman blatantly ignored her and sheathed Gram with a flourish. She began to walk away from her on the catwalk, inciting not only Marceline's ire, but Phoebe's as well. The redhead thundered down over her head and landed in front of Alexis, all flames dissipating though her eyes still glowed dangerously.

"Seriously, Alex. What. The. Fuck," Phoebe demanded. As if to punctuate her anger she perched her clenched fists on her hips and glared.

Before Alexis could speak in her defense Leslie came over the radio, her tone frantic and the sound of the Humvee engine thrumming in the background of her transmission.

"You guys, there are a ton of those creepy suit things swarming the refinery. Like, there's no way you're getting out the way you got in."

"Shit! What the fuck are we supposed to do now?" Marceline spat.

Phoebe rounded on Alexis, hair whipping over her head like flames. "This is your fault!"

"I am well aware of my error, Phoebe. Thank you for pointing it out again in case I had forgotten," Alexis snapped. She shook her head and pointed up. "We can escape via the roof. There is a service stairwell that we can access from here. When the others join us we can take our leave that way."


	16. Revelation

The group gathered on the catwalk by the time the Oozers flooded the factory floor. In a hail of gunfire they followed Alexis to the service stairwell. Much to Marceline's surprise (and relief) nobody had been hit. What the Oozers lacked in any real skill they more than made up for with sheer numbers. A chill ran down her spine as she remembered the Enchiridion's origin story, how Ivar the Boneless was able to use the book to raise dead men on the battlefield to fight for him. If that was how the Oozers came about…

Marceline pushed the thought from her head. There was no way that Lichman could have found that many newly dead people unless he was killing them himself. And if he was she didn't want to know about it. There were ample reasons to hate the man already.

Cold air swept Marceline's mane of hair back, gently caressing her face as she stepped onto the rooftop. The oil refinery was deceptively tall, at least four or five stories high. She didn't know what Alexis had in mind as far as their escape from the Oozers below. Whatever it was, she needed to let them know as soon as possible. Otherwise they'd have no choice but to try and fight. That would definitely be a losing battle.

Everyone froze as a spotlight hit them. Maybe it had been the adrenaline. Maybe it had been a failure to maintain situational awareness. Whatever the case, none of them noticed the military helicopter that had its guns trained on them until they were blinded by the bright light. Marceline had to shield her eyes, peeking through her arms to notice the troopers that had rappelled from the aircraft and were now approaching with weapons drawn.

"RUN!" Alex shouted over the din of the whipping air. Everyone obeyed without hesitation.

Her back to the helicopter and the soldiers behind her, Marceline could see the edge of the rooftop quickly approaching. She held her breath as the edge came. She kicked off as hard as she could and closed her eyes, hoping and praying that she and the others would make it to the adjacent rooftop uninjured. All she heard for what felt like an eternity was the hammering of her own heart in her chest and the dull pop of gunfire. Surely she should have hit the rooftop by then, right?

Upon opening her eyes Marceline felt a sense of panic wash over her. She had indeed reached the rooftop...but she was around fifty feet above it. Below her she saw everyone running as fast as they could with the exception of Phoebe, who was soaring next to her, fire streaking behind. Most of the soldiers remained on the previous rooftop, firing their weapons at the fleeing group. As Alexis neared the edge of the second building she skidded to a stop, eyes locked on the helicopter that had moved to intercept them. The few soldiers that had braved the jump to the lower rooftop were bearing down on the brunette. Marceline felt terror welling up in her chest as her mind raced. What in the hell was Alex doing? Why wasn't she running?

"NO!" Phoebe roared from beside her, one hand extended. A ball of fire leaped from her hand and careened towards the troopers below. As it hit the rooftop it sent them flying through the air along with sections of charred concrete. Alexis stood firm, not even acknowledging the fiery impact behind her.

A loud whir rang out, indicating that the forward mounted guns of the helicopter were warming up. After a quick series of shots the guns powered down, whirling to a stop. Marceline watched in awe as the helicopter jerked violently to the side. The Oozers inside had been completely unprepared and were thrown from the aircraft, doomed to plummet to the street far below. The helicopter itself continued to hover despite lacking a pilot. Alexis was able to shout out instructions that Marceline didn't quite make out, but if the actions of the rest of her friends on the rooftop were any indicator, she'd called for them to board the aircraft. Jake, being the only one in the group with any experience flying thanks to lessons purchased for him as a birthday gift, took a seat at the controls while the others climbed in and clung to the support straps.

With that, Alexis resumed her mad dash to escape. The helicopter flew up and away, matching the pace of the aerial women as they stayed as close as they could to the brunette without risking injury from one of the objects on top of the building. As it turned out, one of Alexis's hidden skills seemed to be free running. She slid beneath pipes and jumped over obstacles with little to no effort, each movement fluid and remarkably graceful. Fear hit Marceline again as the brunette approached the edge of the second rooftop. The next one was a bit higher. There was no way Alexis would make a clean landing.

In what had to be either the bravest or most idiotic move of the century, Alexis leaped from the rooftop, barely grasping the edge of her destination. Her feet hit the brick wall, legs coiled to absorb the impact, and like a wound spring being released she kicked off and was once more running at full tilt. The door leading down into the building opened just as a patrol drone hovered from one of the nearby alleys, two more men in body armor with weapons stepping out.

Again, Alexis halted, head turned towards the large drone. Before the men could so much as raise their guns the drone turned and fired on them. As they fell the drone moved closer to the brunette. She began to run again and jumped, landing on it. Marceline couldn't help but grin. Watching the woman on the drone was oddly similar to seeing someone ride a skateboard.

Marceline's attention was pulled towards the helicopter as the sound of ricocheting bullets rang out. The helicopter and all of its passengers were fine. Upon closer inspection she realized that the soldiers all wore the same sunglasses as the Oozers, leading her to the conclusion that the Lich had acquired more than a few toys from the base. Phoebe hurled a few more blasts down at them, drawing their attention. By the time Alexis joined them there were armed men swarming the top of every building.

"How is it that they managed to occupy almost every rooftop?" Marceline asked loud enough to be heard over the rushing air.

"Dunno, but it makes them easier targets," Phoebe responded, shooting her a smirk.

"It would be foolish to assume that Lichman is anything but prepared," Alex opined, leading the way over the building with the other two women close by, their friends flying ahead to avoid the gunfire.

The trio approached a rooftop that was covered in soldiers who immediately greeted them with a hail of bullets. Marceline veered to the left and dipped down, Phoebe cut right, and Alex stayed the course. Marceline's path took her out of sight for a moment. She veered back up and threw a savage punch that caught not one, but four troopers off guard. With a satisfying crunch of bone all four men fell in a domino effect. As soon as they hit the rooftop a blast of fire launched a number of men into the air, their screams nearly drowned out by the rush of fire. Other men dropped as a result of Alexis's counter fire, her accuracy with a handgun as useful as ever.

The women regrouped, skirting over the soldiers as they flew. One of the men thought it would be a good idea to climb up on one of the fan casings on the roof to gain some ground. Marceline corrected him with a swift left hook. She winced, realizing that she'd sent him on a trajectory that would cause a collision with Alexis. In an impressive show of dexterity the brunette jumped, kicking the drone from under her as she flipped to the side and spun. The soldier soared beneath her just as she'd raised her weapon to fire a few shots into the man's chest as he passed under her. More plumes of fire rose from the rooftop as Phoebe continued her assault as well.

Alexis landed squarely on top of the drone and they continued across the rooftop, Marceline knocking soldiers out left and right and Phoebe raining down fire. The edge of the final building's roof was approaching fast, nothing but the city walls and wilderness beyond. That was where they were heading. It seemed that the situation had worked out in their favor. As the helicopter containing the rest of their group appeared over the edge of the building a triumphant smirk danced across Marceline's lips. The situation hadn't just worked out in their favor...It had worked out perfectly.

Her smile began to fade as she noticed the panicked expression on her friends faces. She followed their eyes to see Alexis and her drone falling. As the woman twisted to the side in her descent she saw the cause. One of the soldiers had landed a perfect shot between her shoulder blades with a stun round, sending enough electrical energy through her to knock her out.

Phoebe let out a scream of anger and panic as she dove to try and save the woman, Marceline doing the same. One of them had to get Alexis before she hit the ground. As amazing as she'd been at handling gunshot wounds and the like, there was no way that anybody could survive a fall like that. With her vision reduced to a tunnel centered around Alexis, Marceline tucked her arms to her sides. They couldn't have been more than ten feet from the ground when she caught the brunette, careening to zip just above the pavement when the woman was cradled safely against her.

Marceline flew up to join her friends on the helicopter, Alexis in her arms. Once Phoebe was with them Jake made for the wilderness preserve with Bonnibel pointing the direction of the cabin out to him. After pulling the spent stun charge from the Alexis's back Marceline laid her down on the floor of the aircraft, still holding her close as she fought against the tears demanding to fall. All she could do was hope that the charge wasn't strong enough to do any lasting damage...and that there was a large enough clearing close to the cabin for the helicopter to land.

\--

"It's been two days, for fuck's sake...Leslie ran off to God knows where with half of our guns and most of our ammunition and we're running out of time. We need Alex's help if we're going to find and stop Lichman. We've seen her shrug off bullets like they're paper cuts. Something happened when she was hit with that stun round. I need to figure out what it was if we've got any hope of getting her up and walking around again," Bonnibel growled as she continued to type furiously on the main computer in the bunker. If she just focused hard enough she would find the answer eventually.

There had to be an answer. There was always an answer. They were so close to the end of the line. They had everything they needed to stop the madman threatening the world with Armageddon aside from a potential location, and the one person capable of finding that out was currently incapacitated and lying on an exam table nearby. It was almost enough to send Bonnibel into a frenzy.

Marceline sidled up next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder that caused the blonde's hands to still. After a slow breath she asked "Have you tried hooking Alex up to the computer?"

"What?" Bonnibel deadpanned, looking up at Marceline as if she'd completely lost her mind.

"Remember how I told you that she hooked herself up to Keila's computer and that's how we found everyone? What if that somehow helps us wake her up? It's gotta be worth a try...right?"

"It's worth a shot, I guess," Bonnibel sighed. Frankly, they were out of options. She gestured towards the unconscious brunette on the exam table and Marceline wheeled her over. "The jack's on her right side, yes?"

"Yeah. I think it's somewhere on her forearm. I'm not sure," Marceline responded.

With a nod Bonnibel rolled Alexis's sleeve up to her elbow. Sure enough, halfway up the woman's arm was an odd rectangular section of skin that was slightly discolored. The blonde ran a finger over it to discover that it was much harder than the surrounding skin. With a bit of effort she was able to wiggle it out, pulling on it to reveal a retractable black cable that seemed to be a part of her body, going up into her arm to who knows where. A reasonable conclusion would be the brain, but…

With a shake of her head Bonnibel elected to put that train of thought to the side. She could always theorize later, but in order for that to happen there would need to be a later, which would be nonexistent if they didn't manage to wake Alexis up. The blonde gave the cord a tug and stretched it over to the computer. She held her breath as she plugged it in, hoping with all of her might that something – anything – happened.

After a few seconds a window flashed on the screen, the border a familiar glowing orange color. Text appeared in the window requesting an authorization code.

"Fuck. I need a pass-code," Bonnibel growled, her moment of triumph ripped away from her. "Fuck, shit, fuck!"

"Wow, Bonnie. Chill. You'll figure it out. You officially have the biggest brain on the planet. If anyone can figure it out, it's you," Marceline said with a reassuring smile.

Bonnibel tried to feel inspired. At that moment it was taking everything she had to not throw a tantrum of epic proportions. Her patience had nearly run out and if she didn't get this figured out soon she knew she was going to lose it. They were down to the wire as far as saving the world went. With the realization came the crushing weight of stress brought on by the fact that billions of lives were in her hands...in Alexis's hands, really.

"Hey, what about this?" Marceline asked, pointing to scrap of paper that had been tacked to a nearby corkboard. The woman tugged it free and knitted her eyebrows as she looked it over. "It's got a bunch of numbers and letters on it. Maybe Alex left it here just in case something like this happened?"

Marceline handed the scrap of paper to Bonnibel. B25B-M26A-GWMP. She typed it out and watched as the characters flashed on the screen, her finger hovering over the Enter key. She held her breath and pressed it. As she did the screen went completely black.

"Whoa...Uh...Was it supposed to do that?" Marceline asked in a worried tone.

"I don't fucking know! This...UGH!" Bonnibel fumed, repeatedly slamming her finger down on the Enter key to try and get some reaction from the computer. She checked the lights on the tower to make sure the computer was still on – and it was. For what had to be the billionth time that night she let out an exasperated sigh and held her face in her hands. "This is impossible..."

After a few moments Marceline cleared her throat. "Hey, Bon? It's doing something..."

Bonnibel's dropped her hands and her eyes shot to the computer screen. Line after line of code was appearing, filing out in what looked to be random strings. She had no idea what any of it meant. Seeing no other option she sat and watched, scanning every character in the hopes that her memory would latch onto it in case she ever needed it in the future. A few minutes passed and a window appeared with grainy video footage playing. Marceline was as enthralled as Bonnibel was and leaned on the back of the chair so she could watch.

In the video was a grime-smeared Bonnibel, lines on her cheeks from tears that had cut through the dirt she was covered in.

"You're seeing this, right?" Bonnibel breathed, her wide eyes glued to the screen.

"Mhm. You?"

"Yup."

After a few shaky breaths video-Bonnibel began to speak.

"Day three. After futzing around with some of the stuff down here I finally managed to get the computers up and running. I figure if I'm going to spend the apocalypse alone I might as well try and do something to keep myself sane until I die too...Just like everyone else...I wish I could have helped them. I fucked up. Fucked up bad. I..." Video Bonnibel cut herself off, voice shaking. She shook her head and wiped away fresh tears. "I'm just gonna try to make the best of this."

The footage cut out. It wasn't long before another video took its place.

"Day twenty seven. Gotta love Great Uncle Gumball. Turns out this bunker is actually a genetics lab fully stocked with a massive supply of water and food. To top it off, it's loaded with a bunch of his research, not only into genetics but some other stuff he was working on. From what I can tell he was trying to figure out a way to effectively meld man and machine. Basically, he was working on creating the world's first cybernetic organism. From what I've read so far he was damn close. There's still so much I have left to look over...Needless to say, I've got a lot to keep me busy. Maybe I can figure out a way to somehow reverse what Lichman did..."

The videos kept coming. It seemed like a video diary that spanned years. Bonnibel and Marceline watched with increasing confusion as the timestamps showed dates farther and farther in the future. Most of them detailed various steps in a project that 'Bonnibel' had begun involving making her great uncle's dream a reality. It wasn't until the final video began that things actually started to make sense. Up to that point all that had been explained was incredibly vague with the exception of the first few videos.

After about fifteen seconds of nothing a very thin and much older Bonnibel stepped into view of the camera, a small smile playing across her lips. Her face was lined and weathered and her hair had gone gray on the sides. She had on a nondescript blouse and slacks that were almost completely hidden by a ratty, dingy lab coat.

"I suppose I should start by saying hello," video Bonnibel said with an airy chuckle. As the aging woman spoke there was no longer a doubt, not there had been much room for that before. All the same, Bonnibel wanted to remain skeptical. The evidence, as flimsy as it was, had begun to pile up all the same. Somehow the two were seeing a video from the future. "You're probably wondering what in the hell you're watching. You're definitely confused. Well, Bonnie...I'm you thirty years into your future." Present day Bonnibel let out a snort. "Since you're probably still skeptical I'll offer some proof. You have something that you've kept for a very long time. The person who gave it to you doesn't know you still have it. They even ask about it from time to time." Bonnibel felt her skin go cold.

'She's – I'M talking about Marceline's shirt...But...There's no way. Nobody knows about that!' Bonnibel thought. Her eyes flitted to the side to see Marceline watching the screen with her brows knitted in confusion.

"And I know where you keep it. You hide it with your dissertation research when the situation calls for it. I'm trying to be courteous since there's probably an audience, but...You're a smart girl. I'm sure you've caught on by now," video-Bonnibel said with a smirk – the very same smirk that graced her face in the present when she was at a conversational advantage.

"Bonnie, what's she talking about?" Marceline asked, angling her face to look down at the blonde whose cheeks were now flushed.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Now, shush," Bonnie said a little too quick. She tried to ignore the doubt in Marceline's eyes and focused on the video as it continued to play.

Video-Bonnibel first delved into an account of what had happened over the course of thirty years. Sometime in the very near future a madman would threaten the world with complete destruction with no apparent reason behind it. That had already happened. According to video-Bonnibel the first wave of attacks came in the form of monstrous and almost insect-like humanoids laying siege to major cities. Then came global destruction in the form of atomic bombs that spread toxic clouds of radiation spread across the globe. The tone in the aging woman's voice grew somber.

"You lose everyone, Bonnibel. Everyone. Even now I'm not sure that anyone else survived," video Bonnibel explained, her voice cracking.

"I got lucky. I found Great Uncle Gumball's bunker, which stocked to the brim with research equipment and all sorts of samples from genetic experiments...And the generators are state of the art, meant to run for hundreds of years with uninterrupted power being supplied. So, I did what I do best. I scienced the crap out of the problem."

This got a small laugh from both Marceline and Bonnibel.

"To put it simply, once I got everything up and working I started to think of ways to save everyone. Obviously the only answer was to go back in time. It's a good thing we majored in theoretical physics, yeah?" the gray-haired woman chuckled. "After the first couple of years I realized that it would take nearly a lifetime to get a functioning temporal device up and running. Obviously that would cause a problem. I'd need to be fit if I was going to save everyone, right?"

"I started experimenting with some of the samples here in the lab. Eventually I stumbled across some of the more advanced research into the creation of a life form with both organic and inorganic components. For lack of a better term, a cyborg. So I jumped between work on the, uh...Wow, this feels silly, but the time machine...and figuring out the finer points of creating a cyborg. Meet the product of twenty-five years of dedicated work, Bonnibel," video-Bonnibel said as she beamed with pride.

The camera turned and the aging woman stepped aside to reveal a young woman with long brown hair fanned out behind her, suspended in some sort of liquid with an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth and a series of tubes and wires connected to her limbs and head. Marceline and Bonnibel let out gasps. The woman in the fluid was someone that they had already met and were well acquainted with, someone who had helped them since the beginning. Video-Bonnibel stepped back into the frame with a much smaller smile on her lined face.

"If you're watching this now then you've already met her...and something went wrong..." the woman said, furrowing her brow in concern. "Alexis was designed to serve as a body substitute for my consciousness so I could travel back and help you stop the Lich. I did my best to account for every conceivable variable and went as far as to code a ridiculous amount of backup protocols that were set to activate if anything went wrong. The biggest one being that her brain is still a human brain, and if she were to suffer some sort of immense head trauma it could potentially jeopardize everything I've worked for up to this point. All I did was make some...additions to what was already there. They serve to allow her to fully process the massive amount of data that she's capable of taking in."

"I'm fairly certain that I was able to account for everything. There's a miniscule chance that something happened during temporal travel and my consciousness was somehow jeopardized. In the event that this happened then Alexis will come off as rather robotic, but as pieces of my consciousness are reintegrated she'll become more personable, more talkative. Eventually I will fully emerge and take control. While I was hoping to offer assistance without my identity being revealed I'll still see it as a victory so long as we're able to stop the Lich. Even if my consciousness isn't able to assert dominance, all of the knowledge she needs to help you save our friends and stop the Mushroom War is programmed into her. If I can't gain control of the host body you can always look at it this way: You've got a reliable companion."

"Wait, so that means..." Marceline began, her eyes going wide and her voice trailing off as she paled.

"Anyway...I've spent enough time filling you in. The reason this video came up and not any of the dozens of others I've recorded is because something happened to scramble the host body's brain. Maybe an EMP blast, or it was tazed...something like that. The fix is simple enough. You just have to reboot the system. At this point a secondary window should appear on your screen," video-Bonnie explained. Sure enough, another window opened and began to stream lines of code.

"All you have to do is wait for the sequence to finish compiling. Once it has you'll be prompted to select yes or no for reboot. The instructions are simple enough. After reboot is initiated wait until the host wakes up and disconnect the USB jack. It'll be disoriented at first. Just explain what you saw in this video. I'll understand. God forbid whatever happened occurs a second time, but if it does this video won't play to save time. And...Bonnibel?" the woman said, her eyes pleading. "Don't waste any time, okay? Just...go for it. Don't waste any time worrying about what could happen. If you haven't told her how you feel by now then just buck up and let it all loose. You might not have another chance."

"So...Alex is..." Marceline paused, taking a deep breath. Bonnibel looked into her eyes to see a mixture of confusion and what could very well have been relief. "She's...you?"

"I don't know. If we believe the video, then I guess so. But she doesn't really seem that much like me at all," Bonnibel replied, her eyebrows knitting as she thought about any possible explanations. Her eyes were drawn to a new window that popped up on the computer monitor. It was a prompt for a system reboot. Pressing the 'Y' key would confirm it, and 'N' would cancel the action.

"You two are similar in a lot of ways, but...I dunno, she's also way different, y'know?"

"Yeah. I know. I'm guessing that future me wasn't as effective as considering all of the possibilities as she thought she was. Something happened along the way that caused her plan to go awry."

"I guess we'll have to talk to Alex about that," Marceline breathed. Bonnibel nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so," she whispered, her finger hovering over the key to confirm the reboot.

Suddenly so much began to make sense. If her own consciousness, sent back from thirty years in the future, really was inside of the brunette then she supposed it was only natural that the woman had been drawn to Marceline and Marceline to her. For whatever reason Bonnibel couldn't help but feel like there was still so much that hadn't been explained. It bothered her a great deal. Thirty years in isolation was a long time, and not once had the brunette made a cameo in any of the videos.

Grief did horrible things to the mind. At this point Bonnibel hoped that whatever she had done wasn't too extreme. All the same she felt a knot in her chest as she remembered the glares she'd received from Alexis, the snappy replies, and every moment of apprehension. Knowing what she knew now...she felt like there was more to the story. Hoping that whatever she'd done was forgivable, Bonnibel initiated the reboot.


	17. Integration

A heartbeat, slow and steady. That was all that existed in the blackness Alexis found herself floating in. Perhaps it was a dream. None of her dreams had ever been like this, though. Normally she would experience the visions brought on in deep sleep with the presence of her cybernetic enhancements being quite obvious. Then she remembered the shock. The pieces of Alexis's body that made her a cyborg had been overloaded and were currently offline, leaving her feeling incredibly vulnerable.

With the inorganic components awaiting reboot her usual safety net was gone. Alexis couldn't think, couldn't physically feel, and it had a crippling effect on her. The only emotion she was capable of processing was something absolutely foreign to her. Pure fear. She'd never gone through something like this. Logically she understood that this could very well be a nightmare, that she would hopefully wake up when and if the others figured out how to start her systems up. And then Alexis realized that there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to and she'd be stuck like that. It was absolutely terrifying.

The blackness that surrounded her consciousness was suddenly flooded with cascading strings of phosphorescent light that flashed. Part of her subconscious mind recognized them for the alphanumeric symbols they were. In a dizzying spectacle the shifting code formed a hallway that stretched out endlessly before her. The spaces between the shifting symbols was pitch black. It took Alexis a moment to process it all. She was here, yet she wasn't. This place, while obviously being somewhere, was nowhere. Or was it? She took a step, the 'ground' beneath her feet radiating out in ripples of the same glowing orange that fell all around her and ran horizontally, as if they were walls. It was strangely similar to every experience she had when she'd integrated herself with a technological system, but she'd never been fully immersed before. The task of accessing the satellites and cameras during the time at Keila's brought her close, but that was more like drifting off to sleep.

Terror was replaced with relief as it sunk in. Someone was trying to fix her technological components, more than likely Bonnibel. None of the others had the required level of knowledge to perform such a task. But...wasn't she Bonnibel Barton? Part of her said yes. The other part protested. Two different consciousnesses found themselves locked in a power struggle, both of them willful and both of them demanding that they be allowed control of the body they resided in.

Left without any other choices Alexis walked forward. As she advanced down the grid-like hallway she took note of a series of windows that lined the 'walls', pitch black portals that stared off into nothingness. The brunette passed many of them, only sparing passing glances. Each opening showed a glimpse of a girl that Alexis recognized as Bonnibel in various stages of her life, starting as a child and following her into adulthood. It wasn't long before one of the windows caught her eye. Alexis felt a surge of dread. She knew she didn't want to see what would be shown, but something pulled her to it and drove her to watch.

As Alexis came to a stop she focused her attention through the portal. What she saw was something she remembered vividly thanks to the series of processors and storage drives that had been implanted in her head. While she'd only seen blurs and shapes thanks to the immense amount of drugs in her system at the time meant to keep her unconscious, she could remember the pain with crystalline clarity. And here she was seeing what she'd experienced as well as a second point of view, putting the missing pieces of the puzzle together.

A much older Bonnibel Barton stood over an operating table, her lab coat and gloves covered in a layer of dark red blood. She was reaching between a tray holding a wide array of medical tools as well as a myriad of wires and odd looking pieces of equipment and a young woman who lay unconscious on the metal table. The woman's brown hair hung over the edge, dripping a mixture of blood and a viscous liquid onto the floor. Each glob hit with a sickening 'plop' that made Alexis's stomach turn.

"Just another hour...Should be finished," Bonnibel grumbled, pressing a scalpel into the unconscious woman's arm. She let out a groan as the tool cut into her skin. The groan turned into a pathetic whimper. Despite the obvious signs that her patient was awake Bonnibel didn't stop her grisly work.

"P-please...S-s-stop..." Alexis heard herself say weakly. For a moment it was as if she was staring up at the future Bonnibel Barton all over again, vision blurry from the drugs that were meant to keep her under during one of many surgeries. She had to put a hand against the grid wall to support herself as she wavered. Tears burned her eyes but she fought them back and continued to watch.

"Oh..." Bonnibel breathed, her voice almost completely devoid of any real emotion. "You shouldn't be awake. Hm..." She finished making the incisions that went down to the bone in places before reaching over and grabbing one of the many cords that lay at the ready. "Sorry, but there's really no time to put you under again. I'll just have to up your dosage next time. We can't have this become a repeat affair, can we?"

"It hurts..." the reflection of Alexis hissed through clenched teeth.

"Yes, I've got your right arm opened up. It'll tend to hurt when something like that happens. This is very delicate work. It would be fantastic if you could refrain from speaking, hm?"

After that there was no more speaking between the two as the patient began to shriek as the length of wire was inserted into her arm. It was an ear-splitting scream that drowned out everything else, perfectly conveying the immense pain that the woman was experiencing. It was an agony that Alexis remembered vividly. The only way she could describe everything that she endured at the hands of this woman was unrelenting torture. Vicious, unrelenting sadism committed to save the world. But there was more to it than that. So much more.

Once Alexis had recovered as best she could from the jarring sight she continued down the corridor. More of the windows popped up showing what the brunette came to accept as memories. Most of them weren't her own. Not really. Many of them were images of Bonnibel poring over some form of research or working on a piece of equipment while monitoring Alexis's recovery from whatever hellish operation she'd undergone.

All of the memories of the procedures themselves were essentially the same. It seemed that either Bonnibel was consistent in forgetting to up the dosages of whatever sedatives she used or that Alexis was adapting too fast to the chemicals for them to have much of an effect. In the end it didn't matter all that much. Each time she went under the knife she would wake up screaming due to the torment she was being subjected to. The only operation where Alexis hadn't bellowed her throat bloody was when the computer components had been placed in her skull.

Before too long the digitized corridor Alexis traveled down opened into a large room. Inside was a single chair formed from flickering alphanumeric symbols and held in place by a matrix of thin orange lines. Seated in the chair was none other that Bonnibel Barton, her thin glasses perched on her nose, grayish blonde hair tied back in a tight bun, and a scowl on her wrinkled face. Alexis narrowed her eyes. The aged woman did the same as the brunette stepped forward.

"Great work, Alexis. Once again you've managed to stray from the plan...and you wound up getting us incapacitated this time. You'd better hope that I'm as smart as I think I am or everyone's dead," Bonnibel grumbled, shaking her head. "You should have let me take control long ago. This would have already been over with."

"Every time you've tried to assert your control someone has wound up hurt. Any time you involve yourself someone ends up ruined. You've noticed the pattern, yes? Do you understand how difficult it is for me to be in the same room as your past self without completely losing it? Not to mention that, thanks to you there's tension in the group that wouldn't have existed otherwise," Alexis replied as she went to sit down on nothing. One of the digitally structured chairs appeared beneath her in a sudden surge of code that shot through the floor. She sat back, hands curled into fists that rested on her thighs.

"Lichman would be dead already and the situations that caused the tension wouldn't have happened."

"Don't kid yourself, Barton. We both know that's a lie. I could feel your reactions every time I looked at Marceline. You know damn well that you would have been fighting with your past self over her anyway. And thanks to your influence and the imprinting you've done on my neural pathways, now I'm just as in love with her as you are. You fucked up. Just admit it."

"No. I worked it all out. I spent years perfecting every aspect of the plan, had dozens of fail-safes in place. You're the one who fucked it all up, Alexis," Bonnibel growled, standing. "You weren't supposed to have the time to develop like this and we both know it. The plan was for me to transfer my consciousness into your mind and then I would help them save the world."

"Too fucking bad, Barton. That temporal explosion – which I must say was a serious oversight on your part – locked you up into a little box in the back of my head and gave me the chance to be my own person. Once I realized that there was more to life than computer protocols and mission objectives you were done for," Alexis explained as she stood. She and Bonnibel began to walk in a circle, matching each others' steps and speed perfectly.

"Let me take control, Alexis. Stop trying to pretend that you have a place in this world," the gray-haired woman said with a scowl.

"Absolutely not. I'll end us both before I let that happen..." the brunette growled.

"You wouldn't."

"I WOULD!" Alexis screamed, coming to a stop. She was shaking, rage surging through her. "What's the point of being alive if you're nothing more than a meat suit for someone else!?" Bonnibel seemed taken aback by that. But Alexis wasn't finished yet. "Who in the hell were you to play God!? If you were so goddamn concerned about me taking on a mind of my own then why didn't you just hollow out my fucking skull when you put the motherboard and the rest of that shit in my head!? Why take the time to make any of the enhancements!?"

"You could have put together a robot or an android or something! We're both painfully aware of that! But no, instead you chose to BUTCHER me! You grew me in a fucking tube, kept me heavily sedated, performed hellish operations to do all sorts of shit to me so YOU could come back to the past and seize the opportunity that you lost! Well, guess what, Bonnie! YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT! You're a fucking MONSTER!"

Bonnibel blinked a few times, face expressionless. "Alexis, I-"

"NO! Don't even say anything! All you're going to do is spit out whatever weak reasons you can think of to try and justify your actions and put yourself in the right. You're a selfish bitch, Bonnie! I'm pretty sure you always have been."

The aging woman opened her mouth to speak and was cut off as Alexis charged and punched her in the jaw. She stood over Bonnibel and glared down at her, suppressing the urge to beat the woman senseless. Not that it would do any good here.

"You don't get to speak. Not right now. You told me to stop pretending I have a place in this world. You're the one who needs to stop pretending. There's already one Bonnibel Barton, and as we both know, she's already got the girl...Not to mention the fact that she's not completely and totally fucked in the head from grief and spending thirty years in isolation! You've got no chance. Neither of us does. So whatever reasons you have for wanting to take over? They're moot points. After everything you put me through the least you could do is give me a chance at being my own person..."

"You don't even know how to be a person, Alexis," Bonnibel began, picking herself up and dusting off. She straightened her glasses and narrowed her eyes. "You're nothing more than a weapon that feels. Without me you've got nothing to hold on to, nothing to keep you grounded and being overwhelmed by emotions that are completely foreign to you. How do you expect to make it on your own, hm?"

"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's adapting. You should know. You made me," Alexis snapped.

"You're a fool," Bonnibel breathed, shaking her head. She let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders. "But you're right. About everything. Perhaps there's no place for either of us in this world. I mean, you've already altered the timeline in ways that make the time we're from different. Maybe history won't repeat itself."

"If it does then I have the confidence that the young woman working so desperately to get my systems operational won't make the same mistakes as you. In fact, I'm pretty sure that she'll actually save her friends at the very least," Alexis said, her narrowed eyes locked on the representation of the other woman's consciousness. Bonnibel looked up at her, remorse playing across her wrinkled face for the first time during their entire ordeal as far as the brunette knew.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, Alexis. The damage I did is something you'll carry with you for the rest of your life, but like you said...I'm done for," Bonnibel sighed. "Just try not to hold my mistakes against her."

"What are you talking about, Barton?" Alexis asked. She tilted her head to the side as she watched the old woman before her closely.

The gray-haired woman threw her hands up in concession, a wry smirk dancing across her lips.

"I'm giving you what you want. There's no way I can just leave your head. It doesn't work like that. But..." Bonnibel paused to take a couple of breaths. "I can integrate my consciousness into yours, for lack of a better way of putting it."

"Am I still gonna have to deal with you trying to force control? Because I'm getting tired of the headaches and the...facial twitching. It's annoying," Alexis grumbled, wary of any ulterior motives the woman may have had.

"No, I don't think so. If everything works out the way I think it will then I'll just...fade into the background. It'll be like I just disappeared after a certain point," Bonnibel cackled manically. "Like you said before, pieces of me were already imprinted in your neural network. There's no way to just undo all of that. This will prevent any further crossover between us, though. You'll be able to live the way you want...For the most part."

"How am I supposed to believe anything that you're saying about this? After all of this bullshit, after everything you've done to get to this point...You'd just give up?" Alexis asked, anxiety nagging in her mind.

"Oh...Don't worry your pretty little cyborg head about it...Because even if I have no influence over your actions or decisions...I'll always be a part of you," the aging woman said, her face twisting into a sneer that made her appear every bit as insane as she was.

Before Alexis could offer any words of protest, a deep rumbling began that caused the grid-like room they were in to shake violently. Bolts of what appeared to be lightning started to strike around them. Alexis was on edge, wondering what in the hell could be going on. Bonnibel was as calm as ever.

"Your reboot is almost complete. This is the last time we'll speak. Finish what we started, Alex."

\--

With a loud intake of air Alexis bolted upright, looking around in a panic. Her retinal scanner readily identified her surroundings as the bunker beneath the cabin. Instantly she calmed down. A hand on her shoulder pulled her attention to the young woman sitting in the chair at the computer console. It was like Alexis was seeing her for the first time. Strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and a relieved smile on her face. Bonnibel Barton, the real Bonnibel Barton, had rebooted her system.

"Dude, Alex...Is everything alright? How do you feel?" Marceline asked from her other side. Alexis turned to look at her and flash a small smile. Happiness that blossomed upon seeing the woman almost instantly melted away as memories intruded, as they were apparently apt to do. All the same, the brunette made sure the smile stayed fixed on her face.

"Marceline, let her be. She's probably all disoriented and jazz," Bonnibel said softly. The blonde moved to help Alexis up, but the brunette brushed her hands away and shook her head.

"No, I'm alright," Alexis said softly, tugging the USB cord in her arm from the computer she'd been hooked up to. She stood and smiled at both of the women in the bunker with her, speaking her next words carefully. "Everything's gonna be perfectly fine."


	18. Loose Ends

"So...I...made you?" Bonnibel asked, rubbing the back of her neck as she averted her eyes. Alexis watched her closely. It was painfully obvious that the blonde was rather uncomfortable about the whole ordeal. Hell, were she in the same position Alexis couldn't say she would feel any different. The fact of the matter was that Bonnibel – this Bonnibel – had no hand in the events that lead to her being brought into existence. A reminder wouldn't hurt.

"You didn't do anything. Sure, a version of you in a future that probably won't come to pass did grow me from genetic samples found here in the bunker, but that wasn't you," the brunette said with her best attempt at a reassuring smile. Bonnibel's blue eyes met her own. "You're two different people. Granted, you're alike in more ways than I'd care to admit, but..." Alexis chuckled and shook her head. "You're definitely different. You had nothing to do with..." She paused and gestured to herself. "...this."

"Alex, we saw some things on the monitor while we were waiting for your system to reboot," Marceline began. She swallowed hard, her eyebrows knitting as she struggled with getting the next words out. "Some...nasty stuff. Surgery stuff. Did that really happen?"

Alexis nodded solemnly. She cleared her throat before answering.

"Yep. That happened. What you saw were memories, unpleasant as they are..." the brunette replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"I guess that explains why you didn't want me trying to figure out how you heal so fast, huh?" Bonnibel sheepishly asked.

"Oh, that's exactly why. I'm pretty sure that I've developed a phobia involving you and medical procedures," Alexis said with a grin. The blonde hung her head, no doubt feeling needless shame as to what that incarnation of herself in the future had done. Alexis placed her hand on the woman's shoulder and gave it a pat. "I was just kidding, Bonnie. Seriously. No hard feelings, yeah?"

"You sure?"

"I might be a little donked up because of it, but bad stuff happens sometimes. Can't do anything to change it. All you can do is keep moving forward. Besides, we've got a Lich to kill and a world to save. No point in getting hung up on something that's never gonna happen now, right?" Alexis asked with a chuckle. She gave Bonnibel's shoulder a squeeze before hopping down from the exam table and making her way to the bunker's hatch.

"Is it weird that she's acting so casual about this whole thing? I feel like this is really weird," Bonnibel whispered, no doubt under the impression that Alexis was out of earshot. The thing about being a cyborg was that it took a great deal of distance for anyone to be out of earshot. Every whispered remark, every conversation had near her, the brunette heard them all thanks to her array of cybernetic enhancements.

"Yeah...I don't think she's handling stuff as well as she's letting on. But she's not gonna talk about it until she's ready," Marceline quietly said. "I have a feeling that one of the things she got from future-you is the whole 'throw yourself into work to block junk out' thing you do."

"I just hope she'll be alright. She's been through so much, Marceline..."

"She's strong, dude. I'm sure she'll get through it. And she's not alone. She's got us," Marceline said, her smile audible in her tone. There was a short pause, no doubt for the pair to steal a quick kiss, before the woman spoke again. "Come on. We've been locked up down here for a while now. We should get up there so nobody thinks we've been up to anything...distasteful..."

After a snort from Bonnibel and a chuckle from Marceline the two followed Alexis out of the bunker and into the living area of the cabin. The rest of the group was huddled around the television as a news report played. Alexis paid it little mind until the reporter made mention of an interesting find outside of the dead borough where the group had encountered Lichman. She diverted her full attention to it as the woman droned on.

"In the early hours of the morning local police came across a vehicle believed to have been stolen from prominent businessman and CEO of NightSphere Inc., Hunson Abadeer. The vehicle was found just outside of the district seven dead borough, apparently abandoned by whoever stole it. Authorities believe that the driver was in the process of delivering a supply of illegal guns and ammunition to an unknown party, but due to blood evidence in the vehicle it is believed that they were accosted, potentially by a gang. If anyone has any information in regards to this discovery you are encouraged to contact police. We'll bring you more information on the story as we receive it. In other news-"

"Guess Leslie decided to get out while she could," Phoebe grumbled as she glared at the television.

"I dunno. For all we know, she could be really hurt. They did say that blood was found," Finn said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Naw, bro. It makes sense. The Humvee was pretty much wrapped around a streetlight. You're probably the only person alive who would walk away from something like that without cracking something open," Jake said reassuringly.

"It's not like she really did much aside from cause problems for us," Marceline added. There were hums of agreement from everyone.

"Still. I hope she's okay," Finn mumbled.

"Just be glad she didn't hear you say that," Jake laughed. "She'd have glued herself to your arm, man."

"As interesting as all of this speculation is, we've got more important things to worry about than a runaway gossip," Alexis remarked. When Marceline spoke it hadn't come as a shock, though when the brunette decided to add her piece everyone seemed to jump. They all spun around to face her, smiles on each of their faces.

"Alex! Holy crap, you had us scared to death, dude!" Jake shouted, jumping up to throw his arms around the woman's neck. She froze, eyes wide, taking a moment before awkwardly patting the man on the back.

"Sorry about that. I'll try to be more careful from now on," Alexis chuckled. Jake stepped back, playfully punching her arm.

"You'd better. We were starting to place bets on how much of Bonnie's hair would be left after getting you on your feet again," Finn laughed. Phoebe narrowed her eyes at the blonde, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Looks like she didn't rip all that much out. Damn. Looks like I owe you fifty bucks, Finn," the redhead remarked with a smirk directed at Bonnibel. "I swore you'd come out of that bunker bald."

"Oh, ha ha," the blonde retorted with an exaggerated eye roll.

Everyone took turns asking various questions about Alexis's condition. She gave default answers, insisting that she was okay. Physically, she was. Whenever one of them asked how she felt she'd simply shrug and smile. It seemed to be the easiest way to deflect the questions and not have to talk about the whirling mess in her mind. That bridge was better left uncrossed for the time being. After the interrogation was finished the brunette suggested that they all talk about what they wanted to do during their last day before they confronted Lichman for the final time. Surely they had business that they wanted to sort out in the event that things went awry, loose ends that needed tying. Alexis herself was content with letting them hash it all out while she returned to the bunker and went about finding the Lich's location again. Anything to distract herself from having to face her emotions…

\--

"So, Bon," Marceline said, flopping down onto the couch and dragging the blonde with her. "Got any 'unfinished business' you wanna take care of before the final act?"

"Mm...Yes and no," Bonnibel replied as she furrowed her brow. She laced her fingers with Marceline's and looked up to meet her reddish-brown eyes.

"I figured you'd wanna call your folks, maybe talk to your brother or something."

"No, if I called them then I'd end up saying more than I should. They'd get upset and that would upset poor Neddy, and...well...I'm not even sure that I'd be able to explain it to him in a way that he could understand. It would just make things worse for them, I think," Bonnibel explained. She gave the other woman a small smile. "Besides, maybe with some unfinished business I'll have the motivation to make it out in one piece, y'know?"

"Yeah, I guess I can understand that..." Marceline said softly, looking off at some random spot on the wall.

"There is one thing, though," Bonnibel remarked.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Us. I wanna talk about you and I, Marceline."

"Oh," the woman almost whispered. "Well...what about us?"

"We've both apparently been waiting years for-" Bonnibel paused and gestured between herself and Marceline with her free hand. "-this to happen. I don't want it to end once we've finished with the Lich. I want this to be something that goes on for a long time."

After a few breaths Marceline spoke. "Yeah. Me too, Bonnie. So, I guess I've gotta do the lame high school thing here," she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. She flashed Bonnibel a wide-eyed smile, something that ran the risk of reducing the blonde's heart to a puddle in her chest. "Wanna go out with me?"

"Oh my God, Marceline...We're adults," Bonnibel giggled, rolling her eyes.

"And? I mean, you're the one who brought it up. I figured that meant you wanted it to be all formal or something. I dunno. I've never done this before. Relationships have sort of just...happened in the past," Marceline said defensively as her face flushed.

"You're such an adorable dork sometimes. Yes, I'll go out with you. Geeze," Bonnibel replied. She was still grinning from ear to ear.

"Alright. Cool," Marceline said, leaning over and giving the blonde a chaste kiss. She sat back with a grin on her face.

"Twenty six years old and you ask me out like we're teenagers," Bonnibel murmured with a shake of her head and another eye roll.

"Consider it me making up for the fact that I didn't ask you ten years ago, then, ya nerd," Marceline chuckled. The pair sat in silence for a bit. Bonnibel couldn't help but notice that Marceline was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, something that had become sort of a nervous habit. As if to confirm her suspicion, the woman spoke up, her face shifting into a frown. "Hey, Bon? About that whole thing with me kissing Alex...I just wa-"

"Look. You don't even need to worry about it. I get it. Yeah, I was mad at first, bu-"

"Mad? Bonnie, you sprinted off into the middle of the woods and then we had a screaming match. That's a bit more than mad, don't you think?" Marceline asked with a regretful smile.

"Okay, I was pissed. That's not the point. Knowing what we know now...I guess I see it as sort of...flattering in a way? I mean, she had some version of me in her head too, yeah? So, if you've been that in love with me for all this time, I can see how you'd find yourself drawn to her too," Bonnibel explained. She raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't mean I'll let it fly twice, though."

Marceline let out a nervous chuckle, running a hand through her hair as she said "Yeah...Of course not."

Bonnibel took a breath, preparing to pry into the response. Before she could speak Marceline said something that caught her completely off guard. They were words that the blonde never thought she'd hear coming from the woman. It seemed surreal.

"I think I might want to talk to my dad."

"Wait, what?"

"I want to talk to my dad. Say goodbye and all. Simon too," Marceline said, her voice weak. She heaved a sigh before continuing. "Simon gave us a huge helping hand with the whole 'killing the Lich' thing, and he's my godfather. He means a lot to me. I love him." She paused. "And Hunson...Well, he's my dad, y'know? No matter what he's done...I mean, this could be the last chance I have to talk to him, to square things between us. It'd be kind of fucked up if I didn't at least try, right?"

"I..." Bonnibel started. She heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, I guess you're right. He's your dad. I can see why you would want to say your piece before we head out. But Marceline..." Bonnibel reached over and placed a hand on Marceline's cheek. "I just don't want you to end up hurt again..."

"It's cool, Bonnie. I'm used to my dad disappointing me. I think I can handle it if he does it one more time," Marceline said with a small yet sad smile.

Bonnibel nodded, knowing that no matter what she said the woman would do what she had her mind set on. It was how she was. It was something that the blonde wouldn't have changed for the world. After giving her a nod, Marceline stood and headed towards the bunker, no doubt to ask Alexis to help her contact the two father figures she had in her life.

In a way it broke Bonnibel's heart. She'd been there through a good number of the disappointments Hunson had offered his daughter, even consoled her when the man had essentially dismissed her choice at pursuing a career as a musician. But that was the woman Bonnibel loved, and she would stand by her no matter what, even if that meant dealing with her dillweed of a father. She followed Marceline into the bunker.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?" the brunette responded, her voice digitized. It wasn't until they'd traveled deeper into the bunker that Bonnibel saw Alexis hooked up to the computer again, a series of grid-like maps and various windows displaying security footage from street cameras in them.

"Oh dang, are you busy?" Marceline asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Mm, kinda sorta. Looking for Lichman," Alexis responded. All activity on the computer monitor ceased and Alexis opened her eyes, leaning forward in her chair as she looked over at Marceline with a smile on her face. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if maybe..."

"She wants you to contact Simon and her father. Could you arrange that?" Bonnibel interjected. Marceline shot her a thankful smile.

"Uh, sure. Just give me a few. I'll have everything set up and ready for you to call."

The call didn't take long to arrange. Marceline got in contact with Simon, who agreed to explain the situation to Hunson. Despite the signal being heavily encrypted Alexis wasn't willing to take any chances with giving out the cabin's location. Instead, she offered to travel into the city to Hunson's estate, borrow a vehicle large enough for the group to use when they confronted Lichman again (that Simon assured Marceline he would convince Hunson to let them borrow), and drive the men back to the cabin.

Once Marceline was satisfied with the arrangement the trio made their way out of the bunker and informed the others what would be happening. Nobody had any objections. The attitude in the cabin was somber as the reality that they were approaching the end of their journey sank in. The tension was palpable. After a short goodbye Alexis left the cabin. Bonnibel and Marceline curled up together on the couch just as the engine of the brunette's motorcycle started up. As the thrumming faded away Bonnibel couldn't help but think that if this was the last time they'd be able to relax, potentially ever, she was glad to be doing it with her friends.

\--

Phoebe sat with her elbows on her knees as she watched the crackling flames in the fireplace. Every now and then her gaze would shift towards the happy couple on the couch, which in turn led to her eyes landing on Finn as he watched them with longing plain as day on his face. Every now and again the man would glance in her direction. His thoughts were almost transparent. As much as Phoebe didn't want to have that conversation with him she knew that it was imminent. She heaved a sigh as Finn approached her, taking a seat on the floor near the chair and facing the fireplace.

"Hey," the blond man said softly.

"Um...Hey," Phoebe greeted him. She shifted in her seat and did her best to focus on the lapping fingers of the fire as they danced. Anything to keep herself from looking at Finn as he turned his head, no doubt giving her his patented puppy-dog eyes. Despite the circumstances of their breakup she hated seeing him upset and knew that the road they were about to go down would cause exactly that.

Finn had always been one of those guys who did whatever he could to find the silver lining no matter how grim or dark a situation was. That was what Phoebe found herself drawn to in the beginning. The more she got to know him the more she found herself completely entranced by his boyish charm and seemingly endless supply of energy. Finn was funny, great at planning random 'adventures', and wasn't at all bad to look at. All the same, he had his flaws. One of them ended up being that he felt the need to lie about quitting school. Sure, it probably had to do with the fact that he knew that Phoebe wouldn't be too happy when she found out he'd taken up boxing, but in her mind none of that mattered when faced with the fact that he'd maintained his dishonesty for months.

Unfortunately for Phoebe, the conversation went in the exact direction she was worried it would.

"I guess those two finally decided to just get it over with and hook up," Finn said, nodding in the direction of Bonnibel and Marceline as the pair snuggled up on the couch. Phoebe hummed in acknowledgment, not really wanting to engage despite being well aware that the man wasn't going to let it go that easy. "I guess the whole 'end of the world' thing really makes you think, huh?"

"I...guess so," Phoebe remarked. She let out a sigh, wanting nothing more than for Finn to be direct for once as opposed to dancing around the point.

"I know I've been thinking."

"Finn, let me stop you right there," the redhead breathed.

"Won't you just hear me out? I've been miserable without you, Phoebe. I really have. Not a day goes by that I don't feel like a complete wad because of the whole thing. I shouldn't have lied to you. All I'm asking for is a second chance," Finn said, a pleading look in his bright blue eyes.

"Look, Finn...I'm sorry. I just can't go down that road with you again. You broke my trust. That's not something that I can ignore, and I'm not sure that I want to risk it happening again," Phoebe explained. As predicted, Finn hung his head and frowned. "I can tell that you've changed. It just happened too late."

"So there's no way that we'll ever get back together?" Finn asked, looking up at her again.

"No. I can forgive you for the lies. I can forgive you for hurting me. But we're done when it comes to dating. That bridge is burned, dude," Phoebe said with a sad smile. The blond shrugged his shoulders and chewed on his lip thoughtfully, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"I clearly remember you saying that you'd never forgive me when we broke up," Finn remarked with a hopeful smile.

"That was before we got involved with trying to stop some psycho from ending the world. This whole thing's put a lot in perspective for me. Like the importance of friends," Phoebe breathed. She shook her head and heaved a sigh. "We're not getting back together, Finn. But that doesn't mean that we can't be friends."

Finn let out a sigh before nodding to her, a smile on his face. Despite the fact that he looked content with her response she knew that it would only be a matter of time before he tried to get back together with her. Finn was nothing if not persistent when it came to things like this. All the same, she had her mind made up. For now she was fine that he was at least willing to accept her stance on dating for the time being. Besides, the only thing the group had right now were each other.

\--

"Hey, Raine?"

"Yes, love?"

Jake cleared his throat, wringing his hands in his lap as he watched his girlfriend meticulously running a brush through her hair, closely examining herself in the vanity mirror in the upstairs bedroom. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. It happened every time he looked at the woman. It always felt...right. That was really the only way he could describe it. It was also why he decided that now was as good a time as any to ask her the one thing he'd been working towards for the past couple of months.

Not even Finn knew about what Jake had been planning. The only person who had any idea was Jake and Finn's mother, and that was only because Jake had gone to speak with her once his mind was made up that there was no way he would let Lorraine go. So, halfway through October, Jake had gone to visit his mother to let her know that he was finally ready for his grandmother's ring.

After stuffing his hand into the pocket of his jeans he began to turn the thin silver band over in his fingers. As small as it was, it felt unbelievably heavy against his leg. It wasn't until Jake looked up and noticed that Lorraine had turned her chair around and was staring at him that he realized he'd been staring off into space, completely lost in thought.

"So, you and I have been dating for years," he began, pausing to take a deep breath. Lorraine nodded, her brow furrowed in mingling confusion and intrigue. "Well, I've been giving it a lot of thought. Kind of hard not to think about stuff with everything that's been going on, yeah?"

"You're not wrong. And Jake, I know when you're trying to avoid the topic. What's wrong?" Lorraine asked. She was obviously concerned. That wouldn't do. But she was right. He was avoiding the topic, beating around the bush to avoid the possibility that she was going to say no. After a few deep breaths he stood from his seat on the bed and walked over to Lorraine, grabbing one of her hands and taking a knee. Before he had a chance to try and stop himself, Jake blurted out the one thing he'd been trying to ask his girlfriend for weeks.

"I know that nothing is set in stone, especially now with the world being all crazy and all sorts of weird stuff happening...But no matter what I've got your back and I know you've got mine," Jake said. He took a few calming breaths and looked into his girlfriend's wide, tear-rimmed eyes. "Ever since we met I've been crazy about you. I feel it more and more every day. It's something that I don't ever want to lose, which is why it's taken me a while to figure out how and when to ask you." Another pause as he fished the ring out of his pocket and held it up, his other hand still grasping Lorraine's. "So, um...You wanna marry me?"

There was a long pause. For Jake it felt like an eternity. He was watching Lorraine, she had her eyes fixed on the ring, expression unreadable. After what had probably only been a few seconds Lorraine nodded, a huge smile gracing her features as tears slipped down her cheeks. She allowed Jake the time to slip the ring onto her left hand (which was quite a task given how his hands were shaking terribly from nerves) before launching herself from the chair, sending both of them to the floor as she showered her fiance with love and affection.

\--

At some point Marceline had fallen asleep, her head resting on Bonnibel's shoulder. The sound of the cabin door opening coupled with Simon's cheerful laugh woke her up. She looked to the door to see Alexis leading not only Simon, but Hunson inside as well. In all honesty Marceline hadn't expected her godfather to convince him to come along, but there he was in one of his ridiculously expensive suits, back rigid as he looked around the cabin's living area, no doubt scrutinizing every inch.

"Simon!" Marceline exclaimed, jumping up from the couch and running to the white-haired man to wrap him up in a hug.

"Hello, Marceline," he said as he returned the hug. Simon took a step back, his eyes flitting towards Hunson for a moment before he smiled at his goddaughter. "You two have some catching up to do." He paused, turning towards Alexis. "I believe something was said about an archeological database?"

"Absolutely, sir. If you'll follow me into the bunker I'll get everything set up for you," the brunette said with a smile. Her eyes landed on Marceline for a split second before she descended the steps leading towards the underground shelter, Simon on her heels.

"We're going to, uh...get some air," Phoebe said, standing. She grabbed onto Finn's sleeve and tugged him up along with her. "Right, Finn?"

"Um...sure?" he replied. It was obviously more of a question based on the look of confusion plastered on his face. Phoebe gave him an elbow in the ribs and made a throaty growl, which seemed to be enough to drive the point home. The pair made their way to the cabin door and stepped outside, closing the door behind them.

"You came. I've gotta say that I'm actually surprised about that," Marceline said with an airy chuckle. She cleared the living area and dropped down onto the couch next to Bonnibel, meeting the blonde's eyes for a moment. The expression she wore roughly translated into her asking whether she should leave Hunson and Marceline alone. The answer came in the form of Marceline grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together.

"Simon explained the situation to me, not that he needed to. I would have come regardless. You're my daughter, Marceline," Hunson explained, walking over to the armchair near the fireplace and taking a seat. He let one elbow settle on the armrest as he crossed his legs.

"Look, dad, if you came here to lecture me you can go ahead and save your breath," Marceline grumbled with a roll of her eyes. Bonnibel gave her hand a squeeze which, to her surprise, was actually rather reassuring.

"All I want to do is talk. After everyth-"

"Yeah, 'talk'...I'm sure. You're already taking that tone..." Marceline interrupted, scowling in her father's direction. He heaved a sigh, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Just hear me out," Hunson breathed. He was obviously getting frustrated, not that Marceline was really all that concerned. Now was neither the time nor the place for one of his attempts at parenting in the form of dictating what life choices she should make. Just as she opened her mouth to say something Bonnibel whispered in her ear.

"Why not give him a chance? That's the whole reason you wanted to see him anyway...Right?" she asked. "If you don't let him try and say his piece then what was the point?" Marceline gave the blonde an incredulous look. "If he starts getting all...Hunson-y...then by all means cut him off and tell him to shut up. Honestly I think it might be worth hearing him out."

After heaving a sigh Marceline hung her head ever so slightly. She glared up at her father who, based on the somewhat hopeful expression on his face, had somehow heard what Bonnibel was saying. In a room that small it was no surprise that even whispers were audible. And it's not like he was sitting all that far away. With a roll of her eyes Marceline nodded to the man.

"I understand why you think that this is going to be another one of the countless arguments that we've had over the years," Hunson began. He let out a long breath, a sad expression on his face. "I assure you that it won't be. We've spent so long at odds. I know I can't be the only one who's grown tired of it."

"Trust me, you're definitely not," Marceline wryly laughed. Her father nodded.

"There are a number of situations that, looking back, could have been handled much better than they were."

"That's an understatement," the young woman remarked. She leaned forward, freeing her hand from Bonnibel's so she could rest her elbows on her knees. "The only reason I've put up with it for all this time is because, for whatever reason, mom saw good in you. And even I know that there was a point in time when you weren't the complete bastard that you are today."

"Marceline! You're supposed to be trying to talk!" Bonnibel exclaimed. Instead of getting angry Hunson seemed legitimately hurt for a change. It took Marceline off guard. If he were yelling or obviously pissed off then it would be so much easier for her to keep her guard up. She'd have an excuse for being defensive. But when he was like this it put her in the wrong. It wasn't something she was particularly fond of when dealing with her father.

"She's right. I have been a complete bastard, for lack of a better term," Hunson said with a slight sigh. He cleared his throat and tented his fingers like he usually did when he was about to go on at length about something. "At the same time, I promise that it has only been because I've tried looking out for your bests interests." Marceline took a breath to say something but was cut off by a raised hand from her father and a glare from Bonnibel.

"It's taken me twenty six years to realize that nothing I can do or say is going to change who you are or what you do. It hit me after I made the deal with Lichman that wound up with your friends being taken captive."

"That's when it dawned on you!? You do realize that they could have died, right? I had to dig through your computer at the office and-"

"And how do you think you were able to find the information you needed so easily? As far as how easy it was for you to get things done, did you honestly think that the theft of my favorite vehicle in the garage went unnoticed?" Hunson asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Wait..." Marceline paused, letting the information sink in. "You..." She took a breath, the final pieces falling into place. "You knew the whole time...and you let it happen."

"Exactly. I wasn't lying when I said you have your mother's spirit, you know. I knew that there was no way that anything was going to stand between you and finding your friends, making sure that they were safe. So I helped things along," the man explained.

"Why didn't you just tell me where you met him to make the deal?"

"You were so angry that I knew there was no way I was going to be able to carry out an actual conversation with you," Hunson said with a smirk. "I will say that your performance when you came into my office telling me that you were interested in the family business was rather convincing, though. If it wasn't for the fact that I consistently deal with liars and schemers I probably would have fallen for it."

"I can't believe this. How is it that no matter what you're doing you always find a way to try and manipulate me!" Marceline shouted.

"Can you blame me?"

"For real, Marceline. And which would you have preferred, him helping behind the scenes or having to do it all on your own? We both know you're not good enough with computers to have found that information in NightSphere's database..." Bonnibel said flatly. All Marceline could do was open and close her mouth stupidly. As much as she wanted to argue, they'd boxed her in. She hated it when Bonnibel was right like this. To make matters worse, the blonde was backing up her father. But they both had incredibly valid points. Instead of attempting to debate it Marceline let her father continue.

"Marceline...With how upset you were I knew I'd finally crossed the line. But when I saw your face on the television that day I had to try and do something to keep you safe. I did the only thing I thought I could. This isn't anything that a father would want to see his only child go through and...well, there's a complete and utter lack of advice on the matter. So...I'm going to do what I should have been doing this entire time, seeing how it's more than a little obvious that there isn't a damn thing I can say or do to convince you otherwise," Hunson explained. He stood, taking a few steps towards the couch, an earnest expression on his face.

"I love you, Marceline. And I'm going to do my best to support you in any way that I can."

Marceline sat frozen in place for a moment. It felt surreal. Her father, the biggest hard-ass on the planet, was the one to surrender the war of attrition they had been in since the death of his wife. Without putting much thought into it Marceline hopped to her feet and threw her arms around Hunson's neck. He was rigid at first, though after the shock faded he relaxed and returned the embrace. The younger Abadeer sniffled a little, fighting back tears as she stepped away and gave her father a genuine smile for the first time since she was seven years old.

The rest of the day went much more smoothly that their conversation began. Once the heavier stuff was out of the way Bonnibel went to tell Phoebe and Finn that they were clear to come inside. Eventually Simon came up from the bunker and Jake and Lorraine even wandered downstairs. The pair seemed as though they were hiding something, Lorraine with a sly grin on her face and her boyfriend practically dancing as he prepared dinner using more of the emergency rations that the cabin was stocked with. It wasn't until night had fallen that Alexis made her appearance, wearing a satisfied smile.

The brunette announced that, once again, she had discovered the Lich's location. That didn't really come as a shock to anyone. What really knocked everyone off their feet was the announcement that Jake made. Beaming with pride, his arm around Lorraine, he practically shouted out that they were engaged. After their impromptu celebration died down, Jake had one more announcement.

"I know it's probably a dumb idea, but...I was rummaging around upstairs and found this," Jake said, holding up an old Polaroid camera. He gave the group a small smile. "I figured that maybe we could take a picture before we head out. That way, in case something goes wrong, we'll always have something to remember everyone."

"Actually, that's a really good idea, Jake," Phoebe said with a grin.

"Who's gonna take it?" Finn asked, looking around. That was when Hunson stepped up, adjusting his glasses.

"I'll do the honors. I'm the only one who hasn't done much of anything to benefit your effort. It makes sense," the man said.

Jake handed the camera over before ushering the group, Simon included, to the other side of the room. Everyone took their positions, Jake and Lorraine with their arms around one another, Finn at his brother's side with his fists on his hips in what was probably meant to be a heroic pose, Phoebe next to Lorraine, Marceline with her arm around Bonnibel's shoulders next to the redhead, Simon on the blonde's side, and Alexis next to him. Hunson counted down, insisting that everyone smile. With a click and a flash, the group had a memento to hold on to that documented how close they'd become through their harrowing journey.


	19. Finale

"How much longer until we get there?" Finn asked, bouncing his knee from the back row of the SUV that Hunson had been kind enough to loan the group.

"We'll get there when we get there, dude. Now calm it down with that leg before I hack it off," Jake grumbled, reaching towards Gram. Lorraine slapped his hand away. Marceline wished she hadn't. The blond man's fidgeting had been grinding on her nerves. Everyone was under enough stress at the moment and his nervous tick was a rather unpleasant reminder of that. As usual, Alexis seemed to be the only person who was able to maintain any semblance of a calm demeanor.

"It's going to be a bit longer. Don't worry, you'll know when we're getting close," Alexis scoffed, shaking her head a bit, eyes locked on the road.

"We could use this time to brainstorm, maybe put together some sort of plan or something," Phoebe suggested flatly. "We kind of neglected to do that before we left since we were all still caught up in all of the...happy stuff."

"That's a great idea, Phoebe, just like a little bit of celebration was. I mean, it could have been our last time," Bonnibel said with a sad smile. To everyone's surprise the redhead turned around in the front passenger seat to flash Bonnibel a smile of her own.

"Alright. So. Plans. How are we gonna get this done?" Marceline asked, clapping her hands together before letting one of them come to rest on Bonnibel's knee. "I'm thinking maybe we try and sneak in, get the drop on him so it's a lit-"

"Not gonna work. He's been preparing for this. And now he knows we have the sword. Our only real option is to go in, guns blazing. We hit hard and fast so there's no way the Lich has time to formulate some bullshit escape plan or disperse his 'troops' early or anything like that," Alexis interrupted, her eyes flitting to the rear view mirror and meeting Marceline's for a moment. She shrugged, heaving a sigh. "Our hands are pretty much tied. My bad on that, by the way."

"Everyone goes a little crazy every now and again. Don't even worry about it," Jake said with a warm smile.

"It does make our situation a little more complicated, but...also simpler. While more dangerous, a straightforward approach is exactly that. A plan with fewer steps means that there's less chance for error," Bonnibel remarked, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully.

"It could be worse, right? I mean, we could be sitting in our apartments right now completely oblivious to what's about to go down," Lorraine said. The corners of her mouth quirked up in a quick grin. "I think I prefer it this way. We're all together, we've got each others backs, and we know what we're up against." She paused and pressed a quick kiss to Jake's cheek before looking around at the other passengers. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

With those words, silence once more fell over the vehicle. Marceline let out a sigh as she looked out of the window, taking in the sunset on the city's skyline for what she knew could be the final time. She barely registered fingers entwining in her own as she drifted in thought. The woman couldn't help but run through all manner of potential outcomes in her head. Of course the obvious one was that they stopped Lichman, thereby saving the day, and everyone would go about their lives happily. A number of other scenarios played out as well, some of them involving failure, most of them involving death. It made Marceline feel like she had to say something...just in case.

"So...I just wanted to say something, since we're all here. No matter what happens, no matter how this all turns out, it's been one hell of a trip, y'know? And-"

"Sorry to cut you off, Marcy, but we're here. Anything you feel like you need to say-" Alexis paused as she brought the vehicle to a stop in front of a massive office complex that towered over them. She reached back and patted Marceline's knee. "-can wait until after we're finished here. We've gotta stay frosty for this, folks. Well..." The brunette sent a smirk in Phoebe's direction. "Everyone but you."

"What is this place?" the redhead asked after grinning at the rather weak joke.

"A series of offices that Lichman used for his campaign back before he had his meltdown and decided that instead of governing the world he wanted to annihilate it. Based on the floor plan I found we're looking at twenty eight floors, twenty five of them with an array of smaller offices and the top three being larger executive offices," Alexis explained.

"What about that weird green light up there?" Jake asked, stretching his arm to the front of the SUV to point up through the windshield at the roof of the building. It almost looked like there was some sort of light display set up, the eerie verdant glow hanging in an almost dome-like shape against the twilit sky.

"It's probably a safe bet that we'll find Lichman there," Bonnibel remarked.

"Yup. Which is why we need to climb to the roof as quick as we can," Alexis said firmly.

"Couldn't Marcy and I just fly up there? I mean, that would be way faster then going through the building," Phoebe said, knitting her eyebrows.

"How are the rest of us gonna get up there, though?" Finn asked.

"Alright, you've got me there..." the redhead sighed.

"I don't think splitting up like that is the best idea either," Lorraine remarked.

"So it's settled. We all go in, take the long way, and try and stay together. Now that we have that out of the way, everyone get your guns ready and hang on tight," Alexis said with a sly grin. Everyone placed a hand on their weapons a mere few seconds before the brunette floored the accelerator. There was a chorus of startled cries that was drowned out as the SUV hammered through the plate glass of the front doors and shifted into a sideways slide, coming to a stop a fair distance into the lobby.

The group filed out of the vehicle, each of them ready for a full on assault. What they saw left them all in a mild state of shock. The vast majority of the office complex had been gutted, leaving nothing more than a cavernous husk of a building with support beams standing like the trunks of so many skeletal iron trees. Not far from where their transport came to a halt there was a set of stairs that led up to the next floor where a platform sat, clinging to the support beam it was wrapped around despite its size. It shouldn't have been possible, but there it was, hanging as if gravity meant nothing. The staircase and platforms didn't stop there. The steps continued to ascend, and for every floor there was a platform, going all he way to the roof.

"Well. Um. Looks like getting to the roof isn't going to be much of a problem after all," Marceline stated, craning her neck towards the green-lit platform at the very top of the eerie staircase. After everyone shared a series of satisfied expressions they started towards the steps only to be halted as a figure seemed to materialize out of the shadow in front of them. Whoever it was was sniffling and appeared to be tied to a chair. After a couple of steps Marceline realized that the person was none other than Leslie, her back turned to them.

"Good. You've finally arrived. I was beginning to wonder if you would even bother showing up," Lichman's voice boomed all around them, echoing in the immense emptiness of the hollowed out building. The members of the group that had guns raised them, Phoebe raised her fists, the light from the flames that blazed on them somehow doing little to help illuminate the area, and Alexis drew Gram, holding it at the ready.

"It was rather unwise to let one of your own go off by herself...Especially someone with Ms. Parker's rather unique skills," the Lich said with a gravelly chuckle, the grating sound reverberating throughout the building.

"No...Leslie..." Finn breathed, guilt etched on his face. His head snapped up with a vicious sneer as he focused on the highest platform. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?"

"We had a conversation. Ms. Parker resisted at first, like most people do. In the end all it took was a little bit of...persuasion..." the Lich purred, his tone sinister. "But she opened up and told me almost everything I wanted to know about your group of intrepid little heroes. Since she was so helpful, I chose to reward her."

As if on queue, Leslie stood. She was slumped over, her shoulders sagging and her head held low. The sniffling she had been doing earlier transitioned into a throaty growl as she began to turn towards the group. There was a collective gasp as her face came into view. Instead of brown eyes she had two hollow pits with glowing green specks as pupils and her mouth was stretched wide giving her the appearance that the top half of her head was only hanging on by a few threads of skin. Apparently the story Simon told them about the Enchiridion wasn't too far from the truth. Once she was facing the group they could plainly see a gunshot wound on her chest, her clothing covered in bloodstains. Leslie had been murdered, probably after what had been a torturous interrogation, and here she was standing before them as one of the Lich's grotesque monsters while the madman himself laughed.

Marceline was honestly at a loss for words. She couldn't begin to think about what to do or say. Everyone seemed to have the same reaction. Poor Finn was gaping, tears of grief and rage slipping silently down his cheeks. Even when the creature that used to be their friend began to advance, they seemed frozen to the ground with the exception of Alexis. The brunette stepped forward and, with a flourish, plunged her blade into the Oozer's open jaws. The beast came to an instant halt, gurgling out one last breath before it dropped to the ground, slipping free of Gram like butter on a hot knife. The sudden action snapped everyone out of their shock and even the Lich's laughter cut out.

"Alex, what…!?" Finn breathed. She shot him a look, her face set in a rigid mask of determination.

"He's trying to get into our heads. Shake it off. Now's not the time," Alexis snapped.

"You are all fools! If it is a heroic death you seek..." The Lich paused, the sound of crackling fire punctuating the remnants of his voice's echo. "...Then I will grant it!"

Without giving anyone a chance to say anything else Alexis began to sprint forward, reaching the beginning of the stairs in an instant. The others followed after a moment's hesitation. They were cut off at the first platform as Lichman hurled a series of greenish-black fireballs from his position far above them. They careened in different directions before impacting a number of the platforms above the group as well as the one they were on and the ground below. The entire structure trembled ominously with the force of each impact and the ground churned like a rough sea.

Everywhere one of the eerie fireballs hit rippling pools of what looked like pure darkness appeared. From each opening emerged a number of Oozers, none of them resembling the 'refined' men in suits that the group had become accustomed to. These creatures were in varying stages of decay, some of them looking as though they shouldn't be able to properly move, let alone pose an actual threat. All the same, the beings began to advance on the group, shambling forwards jerkily on twisted limbs.

After that everything became a whirlwind of gunfire, flames, and blood as the band of friends slowly pushed their way from one platform to the next on their way to the roof. It was like a rush of slow motion, like time itself was warped by the Lich's corrupt magic. Phoebe soared into the air, well out of reach of any of the monsters, and rained white hot flames down on the path leading to the platforms above to try and clear the way. Marceline, while doing what she could to keep an eye on Bonnibel, stayed as near as she could to Alexis while being able to avoid the huge sword the brunette was wielding savagely against their enemies. The others had their guns trained on the direction they had come from, taking out any of the monsters that threatened to overtake them from the ground level.

Progress was painfully slow. Their entire effort seemed to be nothing more than a war of attrition – a fight that the group would undoubtedly lose if the scales were not tipped in their favor. For every group of Oozers that were slain, the majority of them dragged themselves back up and continued the assault as their master cackled, his voice booming all around them. The monsters that stayed down were ripped to shreds, too disfigured to have been able to do much of anything. As it turned out, Simon's tale about the origins of that damned book seemed more accurate than Marceline cared to think about. Not that she had any space left in her brain to put much thought into it anyway. If things kept up the way they were going then soon the group would be out of ammunition. That would be the death of them all. Somehow she didn't have any space to think about that either. They'd come too far, the possibility of losing now was unthinkable.

"Marceline!" Alexis shouted just as she swung Gram down into an Oozer's shoulder, bisecting the creature and sending a foul spray of thick blood into the air. "We can't keep this up for much longer. Think you can get me up to where Lichman is?"

Marceline fired a series of snap shots into a cluster of monsters that were scrambling towards the brunette. At the same time the other woman ran one of them through, her sword slipping into its narrow chest effortlessly before she let out a savage cry of exertion and kicked it over the edge of the platform, sending it wailing into the darkness below.

"Yeah, but what about the others? These damn things keep getting back up!" Marceline exclaimed, whirling around to squeeze the trigger and dispatch another set of mangled Oozers that had managed to avoid being hit by the shots Jake, Lorraine, Finn, and Bonnibel were firing.

"Shit! I'm out!" the blonde spat, tossing her rifle aside and freeing a handgun from the waistband of her pants. She fired again, hitting one of the creatures dead between the eyes as it jumped, poised to attack Alex and Marceline. "We can handle it down here. Whatever you've got planned better work, Alex! Otherwise, we're fucked!"

"There's a chance that-" Alexis paused, swinging Gram in a wide arc and felling two Oozers in the process. "-if I can keep him occupied-" The brunette let out a roar and began to hack and slash at more of the oncoming enemies. Once they were dispatched she was able to continue. "If he's busy then he won't be able to keep bringing these fuckers back!"

"You better be right," Marceline growled, shoving her own rifle into Bonnibel's arms and kicking back into the air.

The blonde hastily passed her handgun off to Lorraine as the woman ran out of ammunition before joining her friends in their efforts to fend off the horde of grotesque and half-mutilated Oozers. The platform rumbled as another blast of fire impacted the nearby stairs, effectively frying a large cluster of the creatures, just as Marceline grabbed Alexis's free hand and leaped into the air, hauling the brunette with her. She flew as fast as she could, scanning for the closest safe place to set Alexis down. Before Marceline had a chance the brunette twisted out of her grip, landing with a roll on a platform a number of levels higher than the rest of the group with very few enemies standing between her and the Lich.

Marceline swooped down, knocking a few of the shambling Oozers off of the platform and clearing a path for Alexis before returning to the others. Since she'd handed her weapon over to Bonnibel she was left with no choice but to use her fists. Once more Marceline was lost in a haze, throwing punch after punch, feeling each impact radiating through her arms with every hit. After some time she began to notice that Phoebe's fireballs were now focused on the monsters working their way up the steps and platforms, clawing their way over the bodies of their fallen brothers and sisters in an attempt to reach the group. Somehow, during all of the chaos, they'd managed to make it halfway to the top of the building. Luckily it seemed as though Alexis's plan was working. Each and every one of the abominations the group was putting down actually stayed dead.

With the bulk of the Oozers taken care of Marceline was able to divert her attention to the spectacle above. Alexis and the Lich locked blades, the brunette somehow holding her own against the hulking skeletal beast that she was up against. With a cackle he brought one hand down and knocked the woman aside as if she were an insect. Marceline was overtaken with fury. She flew up, barely registering that Phoebe was flying alongside her. She slammed a fist as hard as she could into the monster's ribs, feeling bones cracking under her knuckles as she did. Once she'd cleared the area a plume of fire rose from the Lich's body as a result of an attack from Phoebe.

Seizing the sudden opportunity presented by the pair, Alexis was on her feet with Gram. She lunged at the pedestal, bringing the tip of the blade down on the Enchiridion. As the sword pierced the book the Lich let out an unearthly howl. A blast of energy surged from him, throwing Marceline and Phoebe clear of the platform. Both women tumbled through the air before landing on one of the lower platforms. Once she shook off her disorientation and picked herself up Marceline's attention went back to the fight above.

Alexis and the Lich continued their deadly dance, each strike, each parry deftly administered. One error on either side would surely be fatal, though it seemed that for the time being the two were evenly matched. They moved fluidly as they continued to clash. It was if everything else in the world had come to a standstill. This was it, the final confrontation. With their efforts concentrated and the Lich currently too occupied to call forth more of his corrupted thralls the rest of the group finished them off easily and were left watching as he and Alexis fought.

The Lich lunged, his sword leading the way. Alexis narrowly avoided a killing blow, dodging and only suffering a glancing wound to her side. Her opponent let out a satisfied laugh, having landed the first strike and obviously counting that as a point in his favor. The injury did little aside from pushing Alexis further and further into the combat frenzy she'd been in since the first blow landed against the Oozers. The brunette charged forward, her form sloppy. Her attack was cut off by a large boot being slammed hard into her chest, knocking her back and causing her to lost her balance and tumble down the steps to the platform below.

As she slammed into the platform, Alexis rolled, catching her footing and looking over to meet Marceline's gaze just as she leaped into the air to come to her aid again. There was something in the brunette's eyes, a kind of eerie serenity despite everything that had happened up to that point. In that moment it was as if time ceased to flow properly. Marceline watched, completely helpless as Alexis rounded on the Lich and ran forward. They met one final time, hero and villain, each with a sword in hand as they impaled one another.

Gram slid into the Lich's chest where his heart would have been, the point jutting through the back of his neck at an upward angle. His sword protruded from Alexis's back after entering her stomach, the blade dripping thick blood onto the stone beneath their feet. Despite the wound the brunette glared at the Lich, a triumphant smile twisted with pain playing across her lips. The woman's forward movement only ceased for a moment, a result of being run through, before she continued, pushing the Lich towards the edge of the platform. At the same time the building began to tremble and shake as if an earthquake had started. Sections of the walls, platforms, and stairs began to cascade towards the ground, no longer held up by whatever gravity-defying force kept them in place.

Marceline watched in horror as Alexis gave one final shove, throwing her shoulder into the Lich's chest and sending them both over the edge. Despite every instinct she had screaming at her to go to the brunette's aid, to try and save her, there was no way it would happen. Not when the entire structure was caving in around her and the rest of her friends. She was left with no choice but to flee, flying towards the exit after swooping down and grabbing Bonnibel to whisk the blonde to safety while dodging sections of falling stone.

The group made it outside, all of them breathing heavy. Jake, who had apparently stretched himself to serve as a living shield for Lorraine as he carried her from the building, returned to his normal proportions just as Phoebe's feet touched the ground nearby. The noise from the falling sections of mortar and brick was almost unbearably loud, each piece of debris throwing dust and chunks of rock into the air that not only made it difficult to breath but also obscured vision. By the time the remains of the building finally settled the friends were left standing there, shocked. Jake spoke, breaking the spell that surviving the demolition cast on them.

"Guys...Where are Finn and Alex?" he asked, looking around with panic in his eyes.

Marceline felt her heart drop. She hadn't even noticed that Finn wasn't with them, and for a moment she'd forgotten the plunge that Alexis took. Jake let out a choked cry and began to shake his head, trembling as he started to sink to his knees. His fiancee wrapped her arms around him, biting her lips as she jammed her eyes shut and did her best to try and stay strong for the man. Phoebe and Bonnie wore matching expressions of hopelessness, both with tears in their eyes. The blonde grabbed onto Marceline's arm just as some of the rubble began to shift.

Everyone was on high alert once again, even Jake, as rocks and sections of stone began to tumble around. An arm emerged from one of the smaller piles of debris. Then a shoulder and a second arm. Marceline shook Bonnibel off and ran over to the disturbance, preparing for the worst. It wasn't until she caught sight of Finn's goofy (albeit strained) grin that she allowed herself to drop her guard and start hauling some of the larger pieces of rubble off of the man, the others joining her. Once he was able to wiggle himself free, Finn staggered to his feet and allowed himself to be wrapped up in a huge hug from his older brother.

"Man, I was so worried about you! You can't scare me like that," Jake half-sobbed into the taller man's shoulder.

"My bad, dude. You should know better than to think that would be enough to do me in, though," Finn chuckled.

The dialogue barely registered to Marceline. She was too busy digging through more of the debris, her mind set on one thing and one thing only: finding Alexis. If Finn survived then perhaps there was a chance that the brunette was still alive. She was hurt. She needed help. They needed to find her before she bled out and died underneath tons of brick. Even a snowball's chance in hell was worth investigating at that point. Marceline could feel the others watching her as she dug her hands between sections of what were once walls and stairs. Her fingers burned and her hands bled. But there was no way she was going to stop looking. She had to keep looking. Alexis would keep looking if their roles were reversed.

After a few more minutes of sifting through wreckage Marceline felt hands on her arms. She ceased her frenzied rescue effort as it finally hit home. Alexis was gone, and this time there would be no coming back. Suddenly the look in the brunette's eyes on the platform during the fight with Lichman made sense. She never had any intention of walking away from that fight, and that odd expression on her face...it was a goodbye.

Bonnibel grabbed Marceline's face in both of her hands, but the woman barely recognized who she was looking at. Her mind was racing as she tried to make sense of it all. Marceline wasn't really aware of anything other than the stabbing pain in her chest as she let out a sob. Her girlfriend's arms slid around her shoulders and she clung to her as if the blonde was the only thing keeping her grounded. At that moment it was very close to the truth. Losing Leslie was bad enough. Losing Alexis was absolutely heartbreaking. Unable to contain her grief, Marceline let out a desolate wail, her voice echoing through the streets and drowning out the shrill cry of the approaching sirens.


	20. In Memoriam

In the few times Bonnibel had imagined taking a ride in the back of a limousine, she'd never seen it happening under these circumstances. Her fantasies had always involved stunning formal wear, mirth, and being awarded some prize for an accomplishment in physics. Yes, there was formal dress involved in this case, but one doesn't attend a memorial service wearing everyday clothing. And when death of a friend was the reason for putting on your best clothes there was no laughter or joy. After stifling a sniffle Bonnibel looked over at Marceline, grabbing her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

Out of everyone Marceline took the loss of two of their own the hardest. Between the various functions they'd been forced to attend so the leaders of the world could give their thanks and decorate them in all manner of medals and awards the woman was essentially a ghost. Despite having informally moved into her apartment, Bonnibel rarely saw her. And when she did catch sight of her girlfriend it was generally while she was in bed sleeping. Or...pretending to sleep. More than a few times when Bonnibel woke up in the middle of the night from nightmares she would hear Marceline quietly weeping, and the dark rings under her eyes were more than enough evidence that if she was sleeping it, wasn't very much. It didn't help that they couldn't seem to get away from reminders.

They couldn't turn on a television without being assaulted by news reports going through the events and bombarding them with pictures and videos of various parts of their journey that were caught on camera. To top it off, someone had anonymously leaked a video to news agencies across the globe. The recording was a first-person view of everything that happened from the time that Alexis drove the SUV through the building's doors to when the brunette and Lichman began their fall from the platform as the structure began to collapse. It seemed that even in death Alexis was still looking out for the group. With that video footage, obviously taken from her perspective, there would be no disputing the facts. The world would have a firsthand account of the final fight that would paint a clear and vivid picture for future historians.

Bonnibel let out a sigh as the limo came to a stop in front of Jake and Lorraine's apartment building. The couple was outside waiting for the vehicle, Finn and Phoebe with them. The black-clad quartet piled into the limo silently, each of them with a somber expression on their faces. Once the door was closed the car started back down the road towards the state capitol building where the memorial service was being held. It was one of the only venues that had the appropriate amount of space for the large number of guests that were projected to show up. Not only were the families of the group going to be there, but almost every high-ranking government official, heads of influential global corporations, and relatives of the staggering number of people who had gone missing without a trace would be in attendance.

Once authorities got involved with the incident it became apparent that the rise in missing persons reports that were filed during the few months leading up to Lichman's broadcast were a part of something much bigger. Very few of the people who had disappeared turned up again, each of them with horror stories about being locked up in tiny cells and undergoing a wide array of medical testing. It made sense. When Lichman had taken Bonnibel and her friends captive, she noticed a number of people in the prison-like facility that she'd never seen before. It stood to reason that, for whatever reason, the madman targeted them because he perceived them as a threat. The blonde couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the sudden manifestation of superhuman abilities...and exactly how many people out there had been affected.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that the office complex had been reduced to nothing more than a large pile of rubble, any remains of missing people that were turned into the Lich's thralls were buried underneath it and were far too mutilated for proper identification. Even after a week crews were still at the site working on cleaning it all up. The more stone they moved the more pieces of people they found, very little intact. It was difficult to put names to bodies when said bodies had been reduced to nothing more than a gory mess of shattered bone, blood, and stone. This also meant that Leslie and Alexis wouldn't receive a proper burial.

As the limousine reached its destination the group climbed out. Bonnibel scanned the extensive front lawn of the capitol building. A large wall had been erected and stood in two sections on either side of a stage. The wall itself was covered in plaques with the pictures and names of all of the people who disappeared without a trace in the past few months that were believed to be dead due to an inability to trace their SIN chips. On the stage were a row of chairs where the group would sit and two stands, one with a picture of Leslie that was supplied by her parents and the other with a picture of Alexis. For the brunette's memorial photograph the picture the group had taken before they set out for their final fight with Lichman was used. Not only was it the only snapshot of the woman that hadn't been taken from a street camera, but it was the only one in which she was smiling, the corner of her mouth curled up in a cock-eyed grin. It was difficult to believe that this was all they had to remember the brunette.

After a few moments spent taking in the area where the service was to be held Bonnibel looked to her side. Marceline was staring despondently at the snow-covered ground. In that moment she looked like a child, lost and alone with no idea where to go from there. Bonnibel reached out and grabbed her hand. It was enough to get the woman's attention. She looked up, eyes rimmed with tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. After giving Marceline's hand a reassuring squeeze Bonnibel was able to lead her past the news crews and down the numerous rows of chairs set up for those who had come to pay their respects during the service, their friends close behind them. The group themselves would be taking the seats of honor on the stage alongside the UGG President and a few of the other leaders of the world who were ready and waiting. Their families and a few close friends (Simon and Keila among them) would be seated in the first rows in front of the stage.

Just as they filed onto the platform and took their seats snow began to fall. It did nothing but add to the already drastic contrast of the mass of black-clad onlookers against the white of the icy ground. The number of people in attendance for the memorial service was staggering seeing how only a select few among them even knew who the deceased were. Even with such a large number of men and women present it was deafeningly quiet. For a moment Bonnibel was confused. Surely with that many people in one place there would be some murmuring, some sort of noise from the crowd, or at the very least the news reporters. It wasn't until a clean-shaven middle-aged man with dark, gray-streaked hair stepped up to the thin podium that the blonde realized that the group had been the last ones to arrive, the people whose arrival would signal the start of the service.

"It is with heavy hearts that we have gathered here today," the President began, clearing his throat. There was a solemn expression on his heavily tanned face as he scanned the crowd of faces, all of them seeming to hang on his every word. "We are here as colleagues...family...friends...but above all else we are here as people, all of whom would have lost everything were it not for the sacrifices made by the men and women seated behind me." There was another pause as the man adjusted his tie and shuffled the note cards on the podium.

"Everyone here has been impacted by the events of the past month, some of us more than others. And those of us whose loved ones disappeared have felt it more than anyone. There isn't a single person here today – or in the world, for that matter – that hasn't been affected by William Lichman's hellish campaign of terror and violence. It wasn't until these brave people stepped up that he was stopped," the President said, gesturing to the group seated on the stage.

"Somehow, despite the odds being stacked against them, they were able to do what the UGG was not, tracking and stopping Lichman. The end result was giving us a world to live in. Unfortunately, on top of all of the others missing and dead, they lost two of their own. Today we honor those whose lives were cut short so the rest of us could continue on. Their memories live on with each and every one of us, and from here on they will be remembered as the heroes they were, two women whose courage and valor is more than worthy of being honored the UGG Medal of Honor and Heroism."

It was then that a statuesque man and a portly woman came to the stage, obviously Leslie's mother and father. The resemblance was striking. They approached the President, who shook their hands before one of his aids handed him what looked like a standard picture frame. Inside was the same medal that each member of the group had been given at a formal ceremony a few days prior and now wore around there necks, held by a thick silver and blue ribbon. Mrs. Parker began to weep as she took the frame, clutching it to her chest and sobbing. Mr. Parker wasn't doing much better. Despite holding it in for the most part, he was obviously struggling.

Once they had exchanged a few words with the elected leader of the UGG they approached the podium, husband with his arm around his wife's shoulders. Leslie's father began to speak, talking about the immense pain of losing a child. He then started speaking about Leslie's life, how wonderful she had been, and how much she would be missed. As his eulogy came close to the end, he and his wife turned to the group, thanking them for doing what they could for Leslie and being there for her during the last month of her life. Once they'd finished Mrs. Parker was a wreck, sobbing to the point that her husband nearly had to carry her from the stage and back to their seats.

Bonnibel was hit with a pang of guilt. She'd been open about her dislike of Leslie from the beginning. Hell, everyone had. And here her mother and father had thanked them all for being friends to their daughter during the last days she was alive. It made the blonde's stomach churn to think about how poorly the woman had been treated, especially before she'd gone missing. Sure, she was less than pleasant to be around, but perhaps flaunting her telepathy the way she did was really the only way she knew how? However guilty Bonnibel felt, it was nothing compared to how absolutely devastated Finn was. She cast a glance further down the row to catch sight of him wiping away tears, his face bright red as he struggled to contain himself. No doubt he blamed himself in some way.

It wasn't until the President approached Bonnibel, a second framed medal in hand, that the blonde was pulled from her thoughts and back to the present. She stood, grasping the frame with one hand and accepting the man's handshake with the other.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss and thankful beyond words for everything that you and your friends have done in service to the world. You have my most sincere thanks. Feel free to say a few words for your friends if you'd like," the man said, a sympathetic but small smile on his face. Bonnibel nodded, the framed medal in one hand as she approached the podium. She swallowed hard, fighting back tears as she stood facing the sea of faces and news cameras. After a shaky breath she was composed enough to begin her eulogy.

"I see a lot of people here today that came to pay their respects those we lost...to heroes in their own ways. Unfortunately, that's all you'll ever see them as, especially Alexis. And it's likely that many of you won't remember her name a few years down the line. Sure, she'll be mentioned in history books. I have no doubt that everyone will hear about her at least a handful of times for the rest of our lives. But one thing none of you will ever be familiar with is who Alexis was as a person."

After a pause and a series of deep breaths Bonnibel continued. She wished she'd have thought ahead to prepare a series of note cards for herself, but something about a prepared statement seemed to lessen the effect of the words in her mind. She scanned the crowed before glancing back at her friends, eyes landing on Marceline for a moment. The woman was leaning into Finn, his arm around her as she silently wept.

"Honestly, none of us really knew who she was either. We'd only known her for a few weeks. When I first met her I thought the same thing that most of the people in the world probably did; that Alexis was some sort of terrorist mastermind, that she'd committed a terrible act of violence for the sake of it, and that she was a cold-blooded killer," Bonnibel said, her voice amplified by the microphone. There were murmurs throughout the crowd of people.

"That wasn't the case at all. What happened in the shopping district that day was nothing more than an accident, the result of experimental technology being used in a last-ditch effort to save the world. Though we only spent a short amount of time with her, from what I saw Alexis was a loving and caring individual. She was more than willing to put herself in harm's way if it meant that the people she cared about and humanity as a whole would be saved. I even had to patch her up a few times."

Bonnibel wetly chuckled, fighting back the tears that were burning in the corners of her eyes. She gave the crowd a watery smile, clearing her throat and hoping that her voice wasn't too shaky or strained.

"I really wish that we'd had more time. I admire Alexis's strength and courage...and her willingness to give up everything so the rest of us wouldn't have to. She did not go gentle into that good night...She went raising hell. I only hope that the rest of us can be as lucky...That when we go we will have left as much of an impact as this woman, unknown to all but a select and incredibly lucky few until a month ago..." the blonde had to pause again, her voice catching in her throat as traitorous tears spilled down her face. She took a deep and trembling breath, trying and failing to maintain her composure. "That we are as giving and willing to sacrifice if the need arises..."

\--

By the time the memorial service was concluded Marceline had cried herself dry. She was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner. She was even more surprised that one human being could cry as much as she had for the past week. It seemed like tears streaked down her cheeks every time she blinked. Now that the service was over with she felt some odd form of closure. Sure, she was still going to be upset. Marceline had lost someone she loved...and it took Alexis dying to even get her to admit that yes, she had indeed loved her.

For the first time in Marceline's adult life she didn't feel the dull ache in her chest that was her constant companion and reminder of the pain she felt when she'd lost her mother. That throb was replaced with searing, white-hot agony. Marceline wondered if this was what it had been like for her father and Simon when they'd lost their wives? If this was what anyone who endured the death of someone they'd fallen for felt? But it wasn't just that Marceline had lived through the brunette's death...No, she'd seen it, watched her teeter over the edge and into the blackness below in a rain of stone and mortar…

And the look in Alex's eyes...It was nothing short of resignation, acceptance that this was how it would be and there was no changing it…

Marceline shook her head. The last thing she wanted was for the waterworks to start up again (in the event that she even had more tears to cry). Besides, she was starting to feel the fuzzy warmth of the alcohol in her system. For the first time in what felt like ages, a small grin crept its way onto her face. She was inexplicably happy that her friends had decided to head to a bar after the service was over. And one of the perks of saving the world was that the other patrons absolutely refused to let them pay for their own drinks. Marceline wasn't going to argue about not having to spend money, and if it meant getting drunk to the point that she could no longer feel feelings, then so be it. That was fine by her.

She needed the liquid motivation to participate in the conversation she knew the group would have at some point. This was the first time they'd all been together and not at some official function getting bullshit medals pinned to their chests or shaking the hands of some asshole politician. Now more than ever, she hated the sight of men in suits...Thankfully Marceline didn't have long to dwell on her most recent train of thought.

"I guess I'll say it," Finn sighed, setting his glass down on the table as he looked around at the others, his jacket long removed and his tie hanging loosely around his neck. "What are we going to do now? I mean, are we just going to back to our normal lives or what?"

"It's gonna be hard to go back to a normal life after everything that's happened in the past month," Phoebe grumbled before taking a few deep drinks from her own glass, draining it. She set it aside and her hand found another beverage that was already waiting for her courtesy of one of the men in the bar who'd insisted that he buy the group a round.

"That's true. At the same time, not that much has changed," Lorraine said.

"Please. Our worlds were turned upside down. Raine, I love you to death, but you're an idiot if you think that what happened with Lichman didn't change everything," Bonnibel said flatly. Jake let out an uncomfortable cough and leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Hey, there's no need to be rude. We've had to deal with enough negativity lately, yeah? Why add more to it?" he snapped.

The group proceeded to go back and forth about what they felt they should do. The general consensus was that their lives would proceed normally. They would try to go about their day to day activities as if the past month had never happened. Even considering that set Marceline's blood to boiling. She clenched her fists under the table, glowering as her friends went on about picking up where they left off with school and their jobs. Finally it came to a point where she'd had more than she could take of the banter.

"I don't know about the rest of you..." Marceline said, her voice just above a whisper. All the same, the fact that she'd spoken at all was enough to get everyone's attention. "...but I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that Alex didn't die in vain."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, narrowing her eyes.

"We've got these abilities, right? And we weren't the only people locked up in that research facility or whatever it was after we were abducted," Marceline stated. "I'm pretty sure that it's safe to assume that there are way more people out there who've got powers or whatever. How many of them do you think are going to try and use them for some less than good reasons?" She looked around the table, meeting her friends' eyes. "It's only a matter of time before some asshole comes along trying to pull the same shit Lichman did. I'm not gonna sit by and let it happen. I'd rather be there to stop it before it gets to that point."

"What about school? And your music career? And everything else that we all had planned for the rest of our lives?" Bonnibel asked, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. With the expression on her face it was plain as day that she was less than comfortable with the idea of throwing away all the time and money invested in the future. With a shrug Marceline downed the rest of her drink and ran a hand through her hair before retrieving her next glass.

"What about it? Something tells me that none of us are going to hurt for jobs after this. Hell, I'm sure if it wouldn't have been completely and totally crass and downright disrespectful we'd have been getting job offers before we left the service," Phoebe grumbled around the edge of her glass.

"I take it you're in, then?" Marceline asked, an eyebrow raised in the redhead's direction.

"You know it. Can't let you go it alone, right? Besides," Phoebe chuckled, a sad smile on her face. She polished off her own beverage and set her glass down a bit roughly. "It's the least we could do for Alex."

"For real. I mean, what better way to carry on her memory? Count me in," Finn said with a solemn nod.

After a few moments of whispering amongst themselves, Lorraine and Jake also added their support. This meant that Bonnibel was the only holdout. From the look on the blonde's face as her friends locked their eyes on her she was obviously uncomfortable. It was satisfying in an odd way for Marceline to see Bonnibel being in that situation. It reminded her of their high school days. In a way it was as if everything was the same despite the fact that it was all different, like they were the same group of kids with their whole lives ahead of them full of boundless potential.

"What choice do I have when you're all ganging up on me like this?" Bonnibel grumbled, the slight grin on her face betraying her. She nodded. "I can't just let you guys go off trying to be heroes and not join in, I'd go insane with worry. And it's clear that I'm vastly outnumbered, so...Yeah. Let's do this."

After a round of cheers and chuckles from the group, they raised their glasses in a toast to the fallen. No sooner than they'd finished taking their drinks, a man sidled up to the table. Marceline hadn't noticed him before. If she had then her anxiety would have skyrocketed. The man was clean-shaven and wore a pressed black suit, his auburn hair combed back and a confident smirk on his face. As if his outward appearance wasn't off-putting enough, he had a large envelope under one arm that looked as though it was packed to bursting with papers.

"I do apologize, I understand that you're currently in mourning, but..." he paused, hazel eyes flitting around at the table's occupants. "I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation."

"Yeah? Good for you. Now fuck off," Marceline snarled. Her friends looked up at the man, each of them instantly going rigid as they waited for their unwelcome guest to make his next move.

"You sure? Because, like I said, I heard what you all were planning and...Well...I'm here with an offer from the UGG that I think you'll find very interesting..."


	21. Epilogue

So many things can change in a year no matter how resistant to change someone is. It was something that Marceline was painfully aware of as she fumbled with the zipper on her jacket before managing to get it hooked to close the garment. Had she been on the ground it would have been much easier, but that meant sacrificing the rush and freedom she felt every time she soared high above the city. Flying was one of the only things that helped her keep her emotions pushed to the side. It was difficult to get bogged down in grief when adrenaline pumped through her veins with every quick beat of her heart.

Despite how much skirting the clouds helped it never could make her forget. Not completely. And in the end she always had to touch back down. At least while she was in the air she could pretend. When she was having a particularly bad day she would let her mind wander. It would always go to the same thoughts, memories of the trip she'd taken with Alexis on that metal deathtrap of a motorcycle to and from Simon's house. It had been the first time she'd felt the wind whipping around her in that way, so dangerous yet without a worry in the world because even then she knew that the brunette would never let her come to harm.

A snort escaped her as she veered off to the right, towards her destination. She was supposed to be meeting the others for a few drinks at the bar they'd gone to a year before, a gathering that they'd all decided on given that no catastrophe popped up or some asshole who fancied themselves a supervillain started causing problems. Marceline had cried enough in front of them for the past year. She wasn't going to do it tonight, not if she could help it. It would be best to keep her mind off it. Better just think about work. Yeah, that would do it.

The crippling weight of responsibility of that scale was something Marceline was more than a little bitter about, and it was hard to be sad when she was brooding about her impromptu career as some sort of superhuman guardian of the public. When she'd first decided to keep 'fighting the good fight' in Alexis's memory she hadn't realized that she was signing up for a career of babysitting a bunch of overgrown children with ridiculous powers and making sure that they weren't dragged into the streets and burned at the stake. But hey, she was going to do what she'd vowed to do.

The year after William Lichman's plan for bringing about the end of humanity came with more than its fair share of rather unique problems. As it turned out, in the city of Reno alone there were dozens of people that were reported to have manifested superhuman abilities. The catalog of skills so far contained everything from precognition to the ability to control gravity. Yeah, like, gravity gravity. Marceline wished she'd paid more attention in her science classes for that one. If she had then she would have been prepared for that rather nasty fight. But, they made it through. That particular young man was currently serving a rather lengthy prison bid in a state of the art facility designed by none other than Bonnibel Barton to house superhuman criminals, each cell built to contain and damped the individual prisoner's abilities. It was crazy what you could put together when the UGG was more than happy to funnel whatever funds they needed to into a project to keep the public safe.

Unfortunately, with the rise in people manifesting powers there was also a massive outcry from the public – or, the normal members of the public. Superhumans were a minority, and after the incident with Lichman and a few other ne'er-do-wells that thought it a good idea to try and cause havoc to suit their own needs, the general population grew concerned for their safety. Never mind the fact that they wouldn't be alive to worry about their safety if it hadn't been for a group of superhumans, and that the same group was currently service as a police force to make sure that things stayed under control…

It pissed Marceline off to no end, but she supposed that there was nothing that could be done about it aside from trying to sway popular opinion and make sure that the anti-superhuman groups didn't get enough of a following to be a real problem. Just like every other social issue society faced in the past, this one would be settled as well. All it would take was time and work from both sides. It wasn't that long ago when radical religious groups were a serious problem in the world, going to violent means to further their various agendas. That had passed, and so would this.

The groups that were against superhumans weren't even the worst as far as Marceline was concerned. At least they pretty much kept to themselves unless they had some sort of demonstration or protest planned. From what she could tell they were pretty much harmless. There were a few rumors that some of the more fundamentalist members had lashed out in violence, but that was in the jurisdiction of the regular police so she didn't know any of the details. What really freaked Marceline out were the cults that had sprung up, revering superhumans as gods. They were the real crazies as far as she was concerned. It made her shudder to think about some whack job praying to her photograph...

Lucky for her she didn't have to. Snow crunched beneath her boots as she landed in front of the bar, the light from the tacky neon sign above the door harsh on her eyes. Now that she was on the ground again her grief felt like a block of led in her chest. The others were probably there already, waiting for Marceline so they could mourn the loss of Leslie and Alexis. There hadn't been a day that went by that she didn't feel a hollow pit in her heart after the brunette's death...But this was the anniversary of the memorial service. Knowing that brought renewed sadness to the forefront of her mind.

With a sigh Marceline walked into the bar. Just as she'd predicted, her friends and girlfriend were sitting at the same table they'd occupied a year ago, a round of drinks untouched on the table. She figured she should be guilty about her tardiness but honestly she could have cared less. Marceline had other things on her mind, like bright blue eyes and a cock-eyes grin and a laugh that was almost musical, all of which she would never experience again.

"Hey, Marcy. We were starting to wonder if you were even going to show up," Finn said with his best attempt at a smile. He would have pulled it off were it not for the quiver of his chin.

Marceline felt for the man. It was no secret that he'd gone the past year beating himself up over misplaced guilt in regards to Leslie's death. And just like Marceline, he threw himself further into his work than he needed to, trying to chase away the emotions that threatened to reduce him to a pile of tears and grief.

"Yeah, sorry," Marceline breathed, taking her seat next to Bonnibel, who placed a small kiss on her cheek. "I went flying and guess I lost track of time. When did you get here, Jake? I thought you were on a job." She turned to the eldest brother and raised an eyebrow. He was still wearing his work uniform. The material was some sort of polymer that Bonnibel had scienced up in the lab, each suit custom made to suit their respective wearers, primarily blue in color with a silver stripe down each side to signify that they worked for the UGG.

"Just a little bit ago. I got caught up dealing with a bunch of jewel thieves. It was easy enough to handle solo, but they almost got away so there was a little bit of a chase. Otherwise I would have been here sooner," Jake admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"It's fine, love," Lorraine assured him with a loving smile. He raised an eyebrow at her, heaving a sigh as he flashed a weak smirk. After a few minutes of sitting in silence and sipping at their drinks Finn chuckled, looking around the table with a pained yet nostalgic smile on his face.

"You guys remember that crazy car chase the day Alex busted us out of that prison place?" he asked. There were unenthusiastic chuckles from them all.

"How could any of us forget? That whole day was crazy. I was pretty sure we were all gonna die," Phoebe said with a small smirk.

"Oh, I have no doubt that we would have if Alex hadn't been a cyborg," Bonnibel opined.

"Yeah. Y'know, I just sort of figured she was some kind of next-level badass or something, with the fighting and the guns and stuff," Jake said with a grin. "Don't get me wrong, she was totally a badass, but with how lucky she seemed to be with everything I sort of figured she was magic or had powers or something."

"Nah. She was just a person. A person with cybernetic enhancements, but a person all the same," Marceline sighed. She let out a snort as a smirk crept its way onto her face. "You guys know how she took me to go see Simon about the Lich's book?" There were nods from everyone, their eyes on her as they waited for her to continue. "Well, the night we stayed there I headed to bed kind of early. I was totally exhausted. But Alex and Simon stayed up for a while talking. Simon, being the amazing host that he is, ended up breaking out a bottle of wine, probably at least a couple."

"Wait a second, Alex and Simon stayed up drinking?" Lorraine laughed. Marceline nodded.

"Yup. Next thing I know, I'm waking up to her tucking me in since I'd apparently fallen asleep on top of the blankets and all. It was probably the funniest thing I've ever seen, to be honest."

"I can't picture Alex drunk. I'm trying, but it's just not something I can see," Bonnibel said, tilting her head to the side.

"Was she like, relaxed at all? Or still super serious?" Finn asked, leaning forward and placing his arms on the table.

"No, she was..." Marceline began, her voice trailing off for a moment. She felt the familiar ache of loss in her chest coupled with the warmth and hint of embarrassment that the memory brought about. She could see those bright blue eyes plain as day in her mind, so close that the geometric patterns of her optical implant were visible, every silvery scar plain as day in the moonlight that spilled through the window…

Marceline heaved a heavy sigh as she continued, hoping that the burn in her face wasn't from an obvious blush.

"Alex was actually pretty much like a big kid, actually. If I had to describe it, I'd say she was an odd combination of goofy and innocent."

"How so?" Phoebe asked, a smile displaying fondness on her face.

"Well, first she apologized for waking me up with this huge grin. Then she was worried that I was mad at her for drinking with Simon and told me not to be mad at him. Honestly, it was adorable. Before that night if you'd have told me to picture Alex giving someone puppy dog eyes I'd have said there was no way in hell, it would never happen," Marceline said. She forced a smile onto her face, trying to fight back the tears burning her eyes.

"She was definitely one of a kind," Bonnibel said, her voice just above a whisper.

The group of friends continued talking, each of them bringing up something memorable that their fallen comrade had done that stuck out in their mind. It was all very bittersweet. The one person who brought them together as a family was the one who couldn't be there with them. At the very least it was heartwarming that they all had good memories of Alexis. The fact that they could sit there telling stories of her exploits was proof that as long as they kept her memory she was still with them in some way.

After a good number of drinks had been consumed one of the bar's other patrons approached the table. He was a young man, sandy blonde hair hanging in his red-stained face. It was obvious that he was one of those dirty frat boy types, loud and obnoxious and used to being able to do what he wanted when he wanted. Already Marceline was sick of the guy. It didn't help that when he sauntered over he stunk of cheap beer and tobacco and had somehow deduced that it would be a good idea to lean down between Marceline and Bonnibel, draping his arms over their shoulders. Before Marceline could spit out a biting remark he was already shouting at them.

"So you're those heroes, right? The ones who saved the world like a year ago? How 'bout you tell some stories! You did a bunch of fighting and junk, right?"

"Ugh," Bonnibel choked out with a grimace, turning her face away from the man. She tried to remove his arm from around her but he wasn't having any of it. "Could you go somewhere else? We're having a private gathering..."

"You're in a public place, though, so it must not be too private, right?" the guy guffawed.

"We're here to remember someone who died. Get lost, asshole," Jake growled. The guy stood up straight but kept his hands on the shoulders of the two women he stood behind, glassy eyes locked on the dark-haired man.

"Hey, man, I just wanted to hear about some of the cool stuff you did. I mean, it was awesome. Everyone knows who you are! Don't be dicks. C'mon! Tell me somethin'!" the interloper insisted.

That was it. Marceline had finally had all she could take of the inconsiderate douche. She abruptly stood, the sudden movement causing her chair to fly back and clatter to the ground. With a snarl she shoved the guy, pushing him far enough away from the table that unless he had Jake's ability to stretch there was no way he'd be able to keep his filthy fucking mitt on her girlfriend's shoulder. Ignoring the protests of her friends and the burn of a dozen other pairs of eyes on her, Marceline grabbed the man around the neck, pulling him close.

"Listen here you little cunt," Marceline hissed, the now terror-stricken young man clawing at the hand around his throat in a vain attempt to free himself. "I don't give a flying fuck what you want. The shit we went through wasn't a fucking story...It was a goddamn nightmare. And we're not about to relive any of it so you can go back to your little friends with some cool little anecdote. People died, asshole!" She pushed him away a little harder than she meant to. The young man hit the ground, gasping for air while rubbing his throat. "Fuck! Off!"

After he caught his breath he stood, grumbling. In any other situation the next words out of his mouth would have been easy to let slide. He was nobody, just some creep that none of them would see again. But seeing how he'd already gotten under her skin, Marceline was ready to pounce.

"Fucking bitch," the guy mumbled. It was obviously meant to be loud enough to be heard. In an instant Marceline had him in her grasp again, her other arm arched back and poised to drive her fist into his skull. The only thing that stopped her was her girlfriend's voice.

"Marceline, stop!"

She froze, turning her head to look back at Bonnibel. The blonde had a pleading look in her eyes as they stood there watching one another. Then the woman pointed towards the television mounted above the bar. With the commotion it was actually quiet enough inside the establishment to hear the reporter's commentary of the news broadcast.

"-a massive explosion at the headquarters for the Human Purity Coalition. The group is knows as one of the biggest and most controversial groups in the stance against members of the superhuman community, actively lobbying that they be tracked and regulated to prevent a repeat of the events last year. So far authorities have no leads as to who is behind the bombing, but sources say that a radical group of superhumans is to blame. Word has it that the UGG's Superhuman Management and Tactical Response group will be called in to investigate alongside government authorities. We'll bring you more news when we have it. The stock market has-"

Sure enough, the special communication devices that Bonnibel had whipped up in her lab in case of emergencies began to sound their high-pitched alarm. The douchy bar guy was able to worm away from Marceline and stumble off, making sure to put as much distance between them as possible. Sure, it wasn't how she'd seen the one year anniversary of the memorial service going, but at this point anything was better than staying there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final bit of Ties, geared to set up the sequel The Choices We Make. If you're interested in staying more up to date with new chapters, then feel free to follow the story on fanfiction.net, my pen name there is IAmtheTrashPanda. I've been trying to stay on top of updating here, but...Well...Obviously that isn't going well seeing how I just did a massive chapter dump for Ties and I'll be doing the same for Choices. :P Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks!


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